Not My Best Idea
by Sinkme
Summary: A different outcome during the battle of Jotunheim leads to a drastic change in the events that followed.
1. Chapter 1

So like everyone else who saw the movie and decided to write about it, I loved Loki because he was such an interesting character (for the record, I don't think Loki is evil or was intended in this movie to be portrayed as evil).

Anyway, this is just a look into something I thought up earlier- a different outcome on Jotunheim leads to a drastic change in the events immediately afterwards.

I use a lot of quotes from the movie (and made up words that I think are similar to what was used when I didn't have the exact quote) but nothing is intended to infringe on anyone.

And I'm not gonna lie, I had/have no interest in Thor as a comic book character before this, so I have no idea what I'm doing outside of what the movie offered.

The beginning is kinda boring because it's just my take on the battle scene in Jotunheim, but it's important for the story because things are changed!

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"There's nothing you can do without defying father," Loki said softly to his brother. He saw his face out of the corner of his eye and then turned to look at him fully.

"No. No, no, no, no I know that look," he exclaimed quickly, trying to dissuade Thor of the idea he could already see taking shape.

_Damn, after growing up with him I really should have seen this coming. _

"It's the only way to ensure the safety of our borders!" Thor stood quickly, his energy already being funneled into this scheme.

Loki attempted to reason with him, "Thor, it's madness."

But he could quickly see that his brother would no longer listen to his words. He turned his head once more when he heard their friends enter the room. Thor ran up to them and Loki dropped his head into his hands, knowing that they would not dissuade him.

He hoped briefly that Hogun or Fandral, two of the cooler heads among those five, would voice their objections, but Thor's boyish smile and confidence had them clamoring to go as well.

_It has always been this way, _Loki mused as they saddled the horses and took off for the Bridge. _Even as children, Thor had the wildest ideas and I had to tag along to ensure that he wasn't caught in his craziness. _

He sighed as they dismounted, and offered to try to talk to Heimdall, although he was a little uneasy considering he knew how mad the guardian must be after the "prank" he had pulled earlier.

_Letting a couple of Frost Giants in might not have been my best idea._

Heimdall quickly called his bullshit, his deep voice rumbling, "You're not dressed warmly enough. Do you think you can deceive me?"

Loki felt a flash of annoyance because _yes_, he _had_ deceived Heimdall, but it was followed a moment later with shame for his actions. The two guards had been killed and he felt genuine remorse for that.

"You must be mistaken-"

"Enough!" Surprisingly Thor stepped up, "Heimdall may we pass?

"Never has an enemy slipped my watch until this day. I wish to know how that happened," Loki hid a wince as Heimdall glanced to him as he spoke.

"Then tell no one where we have gone until we've returned. Understand?" Heimdall nodded and allowed them passage.

Loki stayed behind, not needing to feign his shock at Thor's actions as the other walked past him, laughing slightly, "What happened? Silver tongue turned to lead?"

He felt another flash of annoyance but losing a game of words and deceit with Heimdall was like losing a wrestling match to Thor. It would have been more surprising if he had actually won.

"Heimdall, go to Odin once we're gone. Thor is going to let his temper destroy the truce we have with Jotunheim. Tell father to come," Loki was desperate to get them all out of this situation.

The guardian gazed at him with piercing eyes before nodding and then they both turned and walked into the portal.

Heimdall's warning rang through his ears, "I will honor my sworn oath to protect this realm as its gatekeeper. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, the Bifrost will remain closed to you. And you will be left to die in the cold waste of Jotunheim."

He distantly heard Volstagg's suggestion to just leave the bridge open and Heimdall's answer peaked his curiosity momentarily, "To leave the bridge open would unleash the full power of the Bifrost and destroy Jotunheim, and you with it."

He shoved the thought to the back of his mind as the light in front of him grew and they were whisked through the Bifrost.

The landing was sudden and he gazed over the desolate ice planet, surprised to not feel the sharp cold on his exposed skin as the wind picked up. He saw the others and their eyes mirrored his own.

_We should not be here._

Thor moved ahead quickly and they followed him dutifully. Loki was secretly glad that the others had come. Often enough if Thor was out of control, he needed their help to smack some sense into him when his own talent with words would not do the trick.

They walked into the heart of the palace, and they turned their gaze onto the figure who emerged from the ice behind him. They immediately knew him to be King Laufey and Loki was both relieved and worried that the king had come to them so quickly.

"You've come a long way to die, Asgardians," Laufey spat at them, drawing up to his full height to tower over them.

Thor stepped up and Loki mentally sighed, "I am Thor, Odin's son."

Laufey smirked at them, "We know who you are."

Loki felt another flash of shame. _Disguise or no, I should not have mentioned my intention to ruin Thor's day. Even that bit of information was too much for an enemy. _

"How did your people get into Asgard?" Thor continued, direct and blunt as ever.

Laufey smirked again, "The House of Odin is full of traitors."

Thor's loud rejoinder rattled through Loki's ears, "Do not dishonor my father's name with your lies!" But he was more focused on the Frost Giant's claim of _another_ traitor.

_Is there really someone else or is he trying to provoke Thor?_

"Your father is a murderer and a thief. And why have you come here? To make peace? You long for battle. You crave it! You're nothing but a boy trying to prove himself a man" Laufey drove the nail into the coffin and Thor rose to the bait.

"Well this _boy_ has grown tired of your mockery!"

Loki threw out a hand to place on his brother's shoulder to hold him back.

"Thor. Stop and think. We are outnumbered. Do not make this any worse for us," Loki hissed to him, shaking his brother's shoulder to add weight to his words.

"Know your place, brother!" Thor hissed and Loki took a step back although his hand remained on his brother's shoulder.

He wondered where father was and how much longer they would remain here.

Loki looked to Laufey and the king stepped forward to speak, his voice different from before, "You do not know what your actions would unleash. I do. Go now, while I still allow it."

Loki lowered his eyes in a sign of deference, eager to leave the planet, "We will accept your most gracious offer."

Thor turned wildly to glare at him but Loki merely turned and pulled on his brother's shoulder, "Come on, brother!"

He felt his brother behind him, and then heard Laufey's rumbling voice offer a parting shot, "Run back home little princess."

"Damn," just about summed it up. _We were free and clear! Damn it all!_

He could actually _feel_ his brother's smirk and saw the others turn as well, grudging smiles on their faces because they knew what was about to come.

Thor loosened his grip on Mjolnir and swung it around, striking Laufey in the center and throwing the king back a good distance.

"Next?" his brother asked cockily, and Loki swore quietly while readying his throwing knives.

He could not spare a glance for anyone else after that, but he knew they were fighting from the sounds he could hear; most notably Thor's taunts and Fandral's laughs.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sif get knocked down but Hogun covered for her and Loki's attention was quickly dominated by the roaring giant that was sprinting towards him.

Thinking quickly, he created an illusion and shielded himself from sight while he ran for cover, letting the Frost Giant think that it was him standing on the ledge. He allowed himself a smirk as the giant threw himself at the illusion and fell down the cliff behind. Swiftly cancelling the trick, he rejoined the fray.

"Don't let them touch you!" he heard Volstagg yell over the noise, but he had already engaged his next opponent and the warning came a moment too late for him.

On his knees, the Frost Giant gripped his arm tightly and the ice made quick work of his armor.

He watched in horror as the cold blue raced across his arm, but there was no pain, and his eyes widened even as the Frost Giant's eyes narrowed in confusion. Loki quickly stabbed him again and stared at his arm as the giant fell.

The blue coldness was disappearing as quickly as it had come and despite being in the middle of a battle, his mind froze. He continued to stare at his arm, wondering what in the Nine Realms it meant.

He could hear the others again, Fandral was closest to him from the laughs he heard, and he turned to look for his brother when pain erupted in his chest.

He screamed and, against his better judgment, opened his eyes enough to see the ice attack that had stabbed him.

Loki distantly heard Fandral take care of the Frost Giant that had supposedly created the ice, and he felt Volstagg and Hogun at his shoulders, pulling him off the ice.

He yelled again, the pain almost making him blackout.

"Thor!" he heard Sif yell out. "It's Loki! We must go!"

He could not see his brother but he heard his reply as Volstagg hoisted him over one of his shoulders.

"Go! Get to the Bifrost. I will follow!"

Had he the energy, Loki would have cursed his brother's foolishness in thinking that he could hold off the Frost Giants and catch up to them.

He heard ice cracking ominously, and knew that something had changed. His suspicions were confirmed when Volstagg yelled, "RUN!" and they took off as fast as they could for the Bifrost site.

He did not dare distract Volstagg or his friends with his pain or with questions of their situation or where Thor was, so he bit his cheek and prayed that his father would come soon. _Father really is our only chance, _he reflected in a dazed panic as he noticed the monster that was now chasing them.

He distantly heard thunder and saw a rush of lightning and knew Thor had destroyed his enemies and would be with them soon.

Loki heard someone call out for Heimdall to open the bridge, but the collective gasp of his friends indicated that something terrible was happening. The yell of the monster and the accompanying thud had him smirking despite the pain.

_Only Thor could kill a monster like that as though it were nothing._

Volstagg had removed Loki from his shoulder and stood bracing his friend on one side. Their glee was smothered a second later when they noticed Laufey and the army that followed him. The Frost Giants rushed in but the Bifrost opened before they could reach them, and Loki gave a huge breath of relief.

_Father is here. _

He felt Thor move to support his other side and place a gentle hand on his shoulder in the moment of surprise that the Bifrost had given them.

Loki was positioned so that he could see his father, astride his great horse, talking to King Laufey.

Laufey was eye to eye with Odin, and his tone was mocking, "All-Father, you look weary."

His father pressed on, however, "Laufey, end this now."

"Your boys sought this out," the Frost Giant shot back, and Loki felt a flash of shame even as Thor's hand tightened minutely on his shoulder.

"You're right, and these are the actions of a boy. Treat them as such. You and I can end this, here, now. Before there is further bloodshed" his father, too, wanted to preserve the uneasy peace that had been achieved.

Loki was watching Laufey carefully, very aware of the malice that the Jotun was radiating towards Odin.

"We are beyond diplomacy now, All-Father," Laufey spoke, his voice dangerously quiet. "He'll get what he came for. War, and death."

Odin did not attempt to talk him out of it, "So be it."

Loki's eyes narrowed as he saw Laufey's hand move surreptitiously behind his back. Expecting an attack, he acted on instinct and threw his hand out in front of him.

"No!" he yelled, surprised as an arm of ice sprouted from the ground and knocked the king back as his arm raised the ice dagger to attack Odin.

He let his arm drop in shock and turned to his brother, who took a step back inadvertently.

"Loki" he breathed, his eyes boring into his brother's face. He looked quizzically at Thor, he could feel a difference in himself, but he could not identify it.

Moments later they were being whipped through the Bifrost and landing home. He felt Volstagg gently lay him on the ground and then curse softly and take a step back.

In fact, everyone had taken several steps back away from him.

Frustrated and in pain, he brought a hand up to cradle the wound on his chest and yell at Thor when he froze.

His arm was blue again.

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Like I said, just the battle for now with a couple changes. Hope you stick around for chapter 2 because it will get more interesting and start branching out from there (at least I think it does...)

Let me know what you think

Always

Sinkme


	2. Chapter 2

Wow. You guys completely floored me with your responses. I was not at all expecting all of the alerts and favorites (or reviews) so thank you so much!

I couldn't resist. Warning- nauseatingly cute ending (I promise this will be the only one). There was no way around it.

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_In fact, everyone had taken several steps back away from him. _

_Frustrated and in pain, he brought a hand up to cradle the wound on his chest and yell at Thor when he froze._

_His arm was blue again. _

Loki looked down through his torn shirt at the skin around his wound and saw that it was also blue. His panic mounted and his breaths quickened when it did not immediately recede as it had before.

He could feel tears gathering at the corners of his eyes but he did not care as he looked up at his father and brother. They walked over and knelt down next to him.

"What's happening to me?" he gasped, still staring at his arm.

Odin's hand traced gentle circles on his back, "Loki, my son, calm down."

He could not, though. His panic and pain added to his distress. The sound of his heart beating in his ears and his quick, shallow breaths drowned out all other noise. His eyes were screwed shut in a vain effort to maintain some sense of control over the situation.

Loki felt his head being pulled to his left and his red eyes met his brother's blue ones.

"Brother. Look at me," Thor's voice was soft but commanding, and Loki had no trouble falling into the role he had always known; the obedient younger brother.

"You're fine, Loki. That's it. Breathe with me. In. Out," Thor instructed, taking deep, slow breaths and watching as his brother fought through his panic to follow his example. He continued patiently for several minutes until Loki had calmed, and watched as the blue faded from his skin.

Thor gave his own deep breath of relief when he saw his little brother's eyes return to their normal green. Loki relaxed further when he returned his gaze to his arm and saw that his skin was as it should be.

"Thor" he said weakly, unconsciously seeking his brother's comfort as the pain in his chest spiked and he took a hissing breath.

"Get Loki to the healers!" Odin commanded, and he felt himself being lifted once more. "Thor. Remain here."

He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, separate from the pain pulsing from his wound, and he called for his brother again, not willing to let him face father's wrath alone.

"Thor. Please," at this point Loki did not even care that he was begging. He needed the comfort and strength that his older brother practically radiated.

He did not know what passed between his father and his brother, but he knew that Thor was following him and their friends now across the bridge and towards the palace. Satisfied, he let his eyes drift shut as pain and weariness overtook him.

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When he awoke, his brother was at his side and half asleep. Loki took a second to quickly check his arm and was satisfied to see that it was still normal.

He moved quietly and pulled a pillow to him, trying to get a feather out of the fluff. Smirking, he sat up carefully, pleased when his chest ached only slightly, and moved the feather under his brother's nose, ghosting it across his face.

Thor's nose twitched and Loki continued with the annoyance until his brother's hand smacked his nose and he awoke. His angry glare lasted only a moment, although he loftily said, "You are much too old for such foolishness, brother."

Loki shrugged, "That may be true. But then who was it who asked for my help only five days ago when Volstagg was-"

Thor cut him off with a wave of his hand. "He has never proven that to be my fault!"

Loki tossed him a sardonic smirk, "Of course he hasn't. I helped plan it after all. Even you couldn't screw up something that brilliant."

And just like that Loki relaxed, the tension leaving his shoulders as his worry about Thor's reaction to his previous skin problem was rendered pointless.

"Let me fetch mother and father. They have been waiting anxiously for news," Thor smiled down and clapped Loki on the shoulder.

"What day is it?" Loki called out curiously as Thor reached the door.

"Midday. The healers worked into the night and they will most likely want you to sleep more than you did," Thor replied, with an unusually serious look before he left the room.

Once he was alone, Loki rubbed his chest, trying to work out the residual ache and stiffness. His attention was ultimately focused on his hand, however, and the desire to understand what had happened to him.

He had always been the smartest of the pair, although it was hardly a contest when it came to intelligence, just as Thor obviously dominated him in strength. His mind raced as he considered possibilities and discarded them until he ultimately reached one horrifying conclusion.

_It can't be. No, no, no, no. _

Unbidden, images and emotions rushed through his mind. The obvious differences in appearance between not only him and his family, but also all of Asgard. The feelings of inferiority to his brother and how Odin favored his eldest son. The simple fact that he found refuge in words and sorcery when all other warriors favored hand-to-hand combat and strength.

He felt his breaths shortening again and curled his hand into a fist, forcing himself to calm down and regain control.

Confusion and cold hard anger took seat in his chest and he could not bring himself to look up and greet his "family" when they entered.

Loki shied away from his mother's embrace and glared hatefully at his father. "Why?" he croaked, almost unable to get the word out in his anger.

"Loki-"

"No!" he pushed his mother's arm off of his shoulder where she had placed it in an effort to calm him down.

His brother was uncharacteristically quiet, and Loki chose to ignore him in favor of staring at Odin once more.

"Loki, my son-" Odin started only to be cut off by Loki. "I am not your son!" he yelled.

Thor looked confused now and took several steps forward so that he was at Loki's side, while Frigga was still perched on the other side, sitting at her youngest son's shoulder.

Odin stood at the foot of the bed; his shoulders hunched, and answered immediately but softly, "You are my son in every way that matters, Loki."

"I would say blood matters very much, _father_," Loki returned quickly. He saw that Odin would not answer and that Thor still looked confused, so he continued mercilessly. "Go ahead. Tell your son. Tell him what I am!"

Thor spoke up to fill Odin's silence, 'What is the meaning of all this, brot-"

"I am not your brother!" Loki yelled, his eyes wild. His breaths now came in harsh pants, the anger evident to everyone. He practically jumped out of the bed and moved across the room, opposite of Odin. When he spoke again his voice was strained but no less intense.

"I am not your brother," he spat. "I'm not even Asgardian. I'm a Frost Giant."

He saw Frigga hang her head in sorrow and Odin looked away. Thor kept his damnable eyes on Loki, searching for the prank but his face betrayed his belief in the truth of Loki's claim.

The silence hung oppressively until Loki startled everyone by moving quickly to the door and leaving without a glance back.

Still, no one moved.

After three long minutes, Odin left as well. Thor made to go after him, but Frigga held him back, "Let your father and brother talk alone, Thor."

"You knew," he said softly.

His mother nodded. "Why did you not say anything?" he asked.

"We did not want Loki to feel different. He is our son, your brother. It did not matter that he was not born of me. We love you both equally, and Loki will see that in time."

Thor had no answer, although something was bothering him. He knew he had to talk to his brother. He just had to find him first.

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Loki stood in front of the Casket, attempting to ease his mind as he stared into the shifting blue. His thoughts and emotions were scattered and he made no attempt to control them, letting everything wash over him.

He felt Odin enter the room minutes later but did not acknowledge him, forcing the king to initiate the conversation, demanding an explanation with his own silence.

"Oh, Loki," his father sighed as he descended the stairs to the platform. "This is not how I wanted you to make this discovery. This was not supposed to bring you so much pain."

Loki turned incredulously, "How could this not bring me pain? My life, _my entire life_, has been a lie. In what circumstances is that looked upon favorably?"

Odin shook his head as he continued to take slow, measured steps toward his youngest, "You misunderstand me. I had not intended for you to face this alone. I should have known that you were too clever to not figure this out, but it was my intention to tell you when the time was right. _If_ the time was ever right."

"So you took me for a purpose," Loki deduced quickly, burning every word Odin spoke into his memory. "When the _time_ was right you could drop this on me and sweep it under the rug in the face of whatever problem I was meant to solve." His voice turned hard, "Why did you take me?"

Odin shifted uncomfortably, but knew better than to lie at this point, "When I found you in the aftermath of the war, I only wanted to protect you. You were discarded amongst the rubble, small for a giant's offspring; abandoned, and helpless." He took a breath and continued, "Laufey's son."

"Laufey's son?" Loki repeated, his shock evident.

Odin pressed on, "I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day. Bring about an alliance. Bring about permanent peace, through you."

Loki was silent for several minutes, mulling over this new information. When he finally spoke his voice was small, "Why didn't you just tell me? Why this charade?"

"I only wanted to protect you from the truth. It never made a difference to your mother and I, and Thor was not told. You are my son."

"Don't. Just-" Loki was getting agitated now, and paced back and forth. "Just leave me."

Odin nodded and respected his son's wishes, knowing that Loki needed time to think everything through. He trusted his son to come to the right conclusion.

Loki fell to his knees next to the Casket, replaying everything that his fath- _Odin_ had just told him. _How did it get to this? Just yesterday everything was fine. And now…_

_Now I'm Laufey's son. A Frost Giant. The monster that parents tell their children about at night. _

_I don't belong here. I _never_ belonged here. _

He turned his gaze upwards, towards the Casket, contemplating it. _I could just remove it. I would not make it even a dozen steps before the Destroyer did its job. _

He continued to stare at the Casket, silently debating whether or not he should remove it and finally die, as he should have when he was an infant.

Loki stood slowly and grasped the handles of the Casket, his anger and betrayal pushing any fear into the far recesses of his mind. He felt the cold blue rush up and greet him and watched in revulsion as his skin changed and his visage turned to that of a Frost Giant.

"Loki!"

He flinched at his brother's voice, not having heard him enter. He withdrew his hands from the Casket and turned, relishing Thor's quiet gasp at his appearance.

He made sure to keep Thor's eyes, watching his brother's reaction. Thor surprised him, however, by moving quickly down the stairs and walking briskly to his side.

He knew from a quick glance that the blue had only just started fading, and he puzzled over Thor's actions for a moment before dismissing them.

"So," he said dangerously. "Come to kill me, _brother_? We stood right here, in this room, as children. Remember? And you swore to kill all the Frost Giants."

Thor looked taken aback, but his voice was strong and his revulsion at the idea evident. "No! Loki, how could you even think-"

Loki barely heard his answer, though, his mind taking him back to that day and he gave a weak chuckle. Thor looked at him as though he were mad, and he decided to elaborate.

His voice shook with laughter although there was nothing funny, "He said- Odin said, that day. We were both meant to be kings."

Loki continued to laugh although Thor did not understand what was amusing.

He slowly walked up to Loki and maintained a quiet and level voice, as if speaking to a spooked animal, "I've come to see how you are doing, brother."

Loki sneered his mood switching abruptly, "I always knew you were dense, Thor, but it is astonishing that it has not penetrated that thick skull of yours. We. Are. Not. Brothers."

"Of course we are."

That simple sentence, _so like Thor_, stole Loki's anger for a moment.

"What else would you be, if not my brother?" Thor asked. "My whole life you have been by my side. We grew up together. Got into trouble together. Had fun, learned to fight, talked about girls-"

"_You _talked about girls," Loki interjected despite himself.

Thor answered with a small smile and a laugh, "Ok, fine. _I _talked about girls and you listened."

He turned serious, "You always listened. You were always by my side. My better half."

Loki looked up in surprise. _His better half?_

"What nonsense are you talking about, Thor? If you're going to lie at least make it believable."

"I'm not lying," Thor said, his blue eyes solemn.

Somewhere in the back of Loki's mind a voice was agreeing, because Thor was a terrible liar and for him the truth worked in almost every situation. He pushed it aside and pulled on his ever-present anger.

"And why would I be the better half? Hm? All of Asgard worships you and Mjolnir. Your strength, your bravery, your fighting prowess. The golden prince of Asgard," He shoved his brother, trying desperately to incite a reaction. "And what am I? A runt of a Frost Giant. Too small to let live. The outcast of Asgard. Dark haired and pale. Weak and puny. How could I possibly-"

He was abruptly cut off by his brother's chest as he was forcibly pulled into an embrace. He fought against it for a moment before acknowledging the stupidity of trying to overcome Thor in this matter and stood limply as Thor clung to him.

"Oh, Loki," Thor's voice shook with an emotion that Loki could not immediately identify. "How you could think- Had I known-"

He drew Loki away from his chest but held him firmly by the shoulders, his eyes seeking his brother's stormy green ones.

"I am so sorry, Loki."

Shock kept Loki silent until Thor had regained enough control to continue speaking.

"I have wronged you terribly if that is what you think of yourself and as your elder brother I have no excuse. I've put my feelings before yours and took for granted all that you are to me," He shook Loki's shoulders, trying to convey the sincerity of his words. "You are my closest friend. My most treasured companion. I value your words and insight the most.

"I listen to what you say and although I do not always act on your advice, I always take it to heart. You are my little brother. Ever since I was old enough to understand what that meant, I tried to protect you. I tried to be braver and tougher than anyone out there who would threaten you. When I heard Sif on Jotunheim- When I saw your wound-"

Loki was still silent. The shock had settled deep now and he doubted whether he was capable of intelligent speech at all at that moment. He clung to Thor's every word and it fed his downtrodden soul.

"I have always envied your intelligence, Loki. Things come so naturally to you and you simply devoured father's books when we were growing up. You can talk your way out of anything, and I depended on you to be the brain behind every scheme I dreamed up when we were children. And even now, you keep me from getting too carried away. And your magic! It is incredible what you can do. How could you possibly doubt yourself, brother?"

Loki had no answer for him. He was utterly convinced that his mind had shut down with everything that Thor had so patiently and quietly said to him. He could only focus on one thing and he clung to Thor who easily enveloped him in his arms.

"Brother," he said, and Thor hugged him tighter.

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Sappy, I know. Trust me, I cringed writing it, but I'm a fan of the bromance and they work so well together! And it would have worked out if they hadn't screwed Loki over in every possible way!

More (exciting things) to come soon. Aka, preparing for war with Jotunheim.

Always

Sinkme

* * *

><p>And just because I can, here's a humorousstupid ending for the chapter:

_He saw Frigga hang her head in sorrow and Odin looked away. Thor kept his damnable eyes on Loki, searching for the prank but his face betrayed his belief in the truth of Loki's claim._

_The silence hung oppressively until Loki startled everyone by moving quickly to the door and leaving without a glance back._

Thor watched his brother leave and then blew out a breath, "We probably should have told him that he's naked."


	3. Chapter 3

And here's chapter 3. There are some times that I switch between Thor and Loki POV but for the most part I stick with Loki. I tried to make it obvious when I changed, but if it's weird let me know and I can fix it.

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_Loki had no answer for him. He was utterly convinced that his mind had shut down with everything that Thor had so patiently and quietly said to him. He could only focus on one thing and he clung to Thor who easily enveloped him in his arms. _

"_Brother," he said, and Thor hugged him tighter._

Loki was content to remain as he was for several minutes, at least until he had pulled himself together enough to not be completely embarrassed.

Thor let him pull away and smiled at his younger brother, which Loki returned fully, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted.

"Now, come," Thor said. "We must talk to father. Go and change, I will be with you in a moment."

Loki nodded and went to leave the room, turning slightly as he heard his brother call to him, "And try to avoid the healers! They'll strap you down to your bed if they catch you."

He smirked and pulled the large door open, leaving the room gracefully.

Thor watched him go and waited a moment before walking quickly and bounding up the steps. He turned in the opposite direction of his brother and went to the training room in search of his friends.

It had become one of their unofficial meeting places and he was relieved to see them all there. They immediately made their way over to him although no one said a word.

"Let us retire to a more private setting," Thor said. They nodded and walked to one of the lower observation decks. It was easy to see that they were alone, and Thor turned to his four trusted friends.

"I am sure that you all have questions. I will answer what I can," he began. He decided to just get it out. "Loki is a Jotun."

Their immediate noise and reactions made him reflect that breaking it to them like that may not have been the most tactful way to go about it.

He held up a hand for silence and then continued, "My father found Loki as an infant on Jotunheim in the aftermath of the war. He took him home and in every way that matters Loki is my brother and a son of Odin. I ask that you not confront him on this matter. Loki needs time to face this on his own."

He saw Hogun nod first, then Volstagg. Fandral and Sif held his gaze for a moment and saw the absolute seriousness in his blue eyes before assenting as well.

"Thank you, my friends. I must go speak with father and Loki. I will find you later," Thor told them and left to collect Loki from his room.

He found Loki pacing anxiously at the foot of his bed and registered with surprise that his brother was nervous.

"Loki?" he asked amusedly.

The younger didn't answer and instead walked through the door that Thor held open and therefore missed the wide grin on Thor's face.

Loki _was_ nervous to face Odin, although he could not pinpoint the exact reason. It felt more like guilt, this feeling in the pit of his stomach. But then it was distinctly _not_ guilt.

_Ah. I know what it is. It is that feeling unique to children who know they have disappointed a parent. Most curious._

He chewed over that thought for several minutes as he led the way to their father's study.

He and Thor entered silently, although it was immediately clear that Odin did not intend to break the silence either. Loki recognized it from when he and Thor were younger. Odin's silence was usually enough to get Thor to confess to whatever juvenile mischief they had gotten into. This time it was different, though.

Loki cleared his throat, understanding his father's hesitance was due to a small amount of trepidation over his own reaction, "Father."

Odin's smile was enough to reassure Loki and he felt most of the weight he had been carrying shift, and he and Thor walked fully into the room, joining their father at his massive desk.

Once again in command, Odin looked at his sons, "At this time there is no further point in laying blame on anyone for the impending war with Jotunheim."

Thor shifted uncomfortably, obviously still feeling guilty for his actions that day, but Odin shook his head firmly.

"Thor, you acted foolishly, there is no point in dancing around that. It is troubling that the Frost Giants found a way into Asgard and I should not have dismissed your concern so quickly. But you still had to right to disobey me and endanger your brother and your friends in such a reckless mission.

"War is upon us, however, and you must move past your mistakes and act in a manner fitting your position. I am too old and weary to lead the army as I once did. It falls to you to lead the men into battle. You must be the man I know you can be, Thor. There is no room for error, or selfish desires, as a leader."

"I understand, father," Thor said solemnly. "I will not let you or my men down."

Odin nodded, "I will remain here and oversee logistics and training. While on location you will have the final word, Thor. We will use the coming days to get prepared and get you acquainted with your commanders."

The All-Father turned to Loki, "I do believe it is time that we truly utilized your talents, Loki. I cannot think of a better place to lend your mind to than to the strategy division. We will be fighting this war on Jotunheim and will therefore be at a severe disadvantage. We will need all the help we can get."

Loki was actually very pleased with this, _finally, a chance to do something useful. A chance to contribute to the realm. _

He nodded and gave Odin a small smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The first thing Loki did after he and Thor were dismissed was to find a suitable room to set up in. As of now, strategy was more of an idea than an actual division, and that would change if Loki had anything to say about it.

There was an adequate room on one of the middle levels of the palace and he found that he quite enjoyed the work it took to turn it into an acceptable room that would suit his needs.

He had to drag a table big enough to fill the room from an adjacent and empty chamber, and then track down enough chairs to fit abound it comfortably.

After that he scoured the library for an accurate map of Jotunheim and approximated the site that the Bifrost had dumped them at on their last disastrous journey. It would be an invaluable piece of data to keep track of as the war progressed and would greatly affect any plan of attack.

He also moved a number of books that he thought might be useful to a small set of shelves he had found in the room. At the end of the day he was please with the progress he had made and was content to start tracking people down tomorrow.

Despite his optimism, he soon found that it was much easier said than done to recruit people to the strategy division.

In a realm where strength and bravery were practically worshipped, the lack of enthusiasm for a potentially non-combative position really should not have surprised him.

Quickly frustrated, he retreated to the room to plan a better approach. _If I have a better idea of what this division is for, I can embellish it a little to try to tempt men into joining._

Although he was usually a static thinker, he soon found himself pacing around the room, and eventually he ended up wandering aimlessly through the halls.

He looked up to determine his location and stared at the healer ward that was just down the hall, an idea rapidly forming in his head.

He entered the ward and sought out the chief healer, wanting to get his support before moving forward with his rapidly forming plan.

Twenty minutes later he emerged and walked briskly out of the hallway in search of Thor, a wide smile on his face.

He was confident enough about his plan's workability, but it would require a certain amount of flexibility from Thor and his army as well as the healers. Thor's approval would help his proposal greatly, and might even bring out some volunteers.

Unsurprisingly he found Thor in the training room and spied Sif and the Warriors Three with him.

As they turned to greet him Thor called out to him, "What do you have, Loki?" Obviously Thor could read the eager excitement on his face that usually indicated a new idea.

"A way to attract people to the strategy division, and if my plan plays out, a way to help injured soldiers a lot quicker," Loki began.

"Do tell," Thor gave Loki the floor and it was clear that all five of them were interested.

"Ideally there will be enough interest to form several teams of four," Loki began explaining. "Two healers and two protectors. Their goal will be to provide support to the injured in the field and see them safely back to the Bifrost site, where teams will be stationed and rotate to guide them back to the palace and the healer's wing.

"We can use the protectors to serve a dual function, however, and while providing protection against a stray attack aimed at a healer or injured soldier, they can also be trained to observe and report on troop movements, locations, and other valuable information."

The silence that greeted him was off-putting, but after looking at their stupefied faces, Loki knew better than to assume that they thought his idea asinine.

Fandral was the first to speak, "Why did no one think of this before?"

Thor smirked, a hint of pride coloring his voice, "Because Loki is a tactical genius. Just a week ago he helped me switch out one of the pheasants with a-"

He broke off suddenly, remembering a moment too late that the victim of the prank was sitting right next to him.

"It _was_ you!" Volstagg yelled and jumped up to chase after Thor, who had bolted to a corner of the room, laughing.

Fandral and Hogun watched in amusement and Sif turned to Loki, trying to stay on topic despite the laughter and yelling behind her.

"It's a marvelous idea, Loki. Have you spoken to the healers yet?"

He nodded, "Yes, I approached them first. They were very much in favor of the concept. The chief healer said it would give them a chance to rotate more effectively so that no one was left untreated because the healers had been overwhelmed with wounded and had no energy left. Many of the healers have combat training as well, but I do hope that it doesn't come to that."

Sif shook her head, her eyes following Thor and Volstagg around the room while her mind was focused on the conversation. "I'm sure you'll get some volunteers with this idea. It is certainly a noble cause and it offers the chance to see the battlefield and contribute. It would certainly appeal to some of the reserves who might not be otherwise called up."

Loki made a mental note to talk to them as well as Thor's men when they assembled tomorrow to be arranged in regiments and assigned duties.

He watched for several minutes as Volstagg continued to chase Thor, who danced just out of his reach every time it seemed as though he were caught.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Loki met his brother in the late morning the next day and accompanied him to the training grounds behind the palace. It was a monstrous field and most of it was already filled with soldiers standing in their lines. Commanders stood at the head of each line, waiting for their assignment.

All in all Loki was impressed. Despite the peaceful centuries leading up to this moment, the men looked organized and ready.

With father overseeing the logistical side of the army and organizing their deployment, it was a simple matter of assigning each unit into a larger force.

From what Loki understood when Thor had explained it to him, each line that he saw was its own unit. They were trained in a specific purpose, and the men were prepared to serve as a larger group to fulfill that function.

Units would be combined into four overarching divisions: an advance group, a first attack group, a reinforcement group, and a base group. From there, regiments would be drafted to include a group from each division so that it was well rounded and prepared.

Each division had a commander, and each regiment would similarly have a commander. Thor would oversee the entire field operation and was second only to Odin in the chain of command.

Loki didn't envy his brother in the slightest.

If he could avoid being here to address the men then he would, but he didn't trust his brother to explain his new division and he desperately needed volunteers.

Odin and Thor would speak to each group, all told there were four groups and each took up the entire field so they had to be staggered, and then Loki would explain his division and ask for volunteers.

Once he was finished Odin would explain the assignments and direct each unit to their division commander, who would then be directed to their regiment commanders.

On the off chance that there were enough volunteers for Loki that it affected the balance of a unit, they wanted to be able to see that before assigning them to a division so that they could be sure to call up the proper number of reserves.

They would repeat that process with each of the four field groups, and then there were two groups of reserves. They anticipated that it would take the entire day to get everything done.

Loki listened patiently as his father and brother addressed the first group, secretly amazed at how at ease they appeared.

As Thor's speech wound down, Loki stood and felt his nerves begin to pool in his stomach. He clenched his hands together tightly behind his back and tried to look as confident as Thor was. _He would laugh himself into next year if he knew I was nervous. I can talk my way out of anything and here I am, scared of field full of men just like Thor. _

"My brother, Loki, is heading a new division and is looking for volunteers. I will allow him to explain."

Loki took Thor's place at the center of the makeshift platform and focused on presenting in a strong voice, hoping that everything else would follow.

"Good morning," he began. "As Thor said, I will be pioneering a division with several purposes. Primarily among those, however, will be carried out in conjunction with the healers. We will be working to assist injured soldiers on site and see them home safely. I need volunteers willing to work in a small team setting, and able to perform under extreme stress.

"You will be responsible for the safety of the healers and their injured charges while on the battlefield. As such, I would request that only those of you who feel that their combat skills are equal to the task offer their service. If you are interested please step forward and inform your unit commander, and then report to the front of the field," he gestured to the side of the platform where he had set up a table.

He nodded and stepped down, a breath of relief leaving him involuntarily. He had spent a good part of the night writing and rehearsing his speech, trying to make it more appealing while still being accurate.

Loki was rather pleased with the result, and his face broke into a wide grin as he noticed several men move forward and approach their commanders.

With a nod to Thor and his father he moved down to the table, hardly listening as Odin began to assign the units to their divisions.

The men lined up in an orderly fashion, and he instructed the first one to fill out one of the forms he had created last night for this purpose.

He felt a little foolish for making them fill out such an unsophisticated form, but it was more than necessary that he had all the relevant information available so that he could form balanced teams.

Quickly glancing at the man's sheet, he thanked the soldier by name and gave him a firm handshake, informing him that the first meeting would be in two days before he let the man leave.

He repeated the same process for each man, and at the end of the first session he had six volunteers. _If there are similar numbers from the next three groups and more from the two groups of reserves I might have enough men to make this work._

It was a long and rather tedious day, although it was an important first step for all of them.

The regiments were ready and would go through basic drills over the next five days before the first one was sent to Jotunheim to clear the area and establish a presence on the planet.

Loki had five days to get his men together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

War is coming! This is a Loki central story, though, which means that the planning and organization for the war will feature more prominently than the fighting, but there will be fights.

Always

Sinkme


	4. Chapter 4

I want to get to the action! This is important and I'll get there soon! I have most of the story after this written out except for some editing and one of the middle-ish chapters so once I get that done I will be able to have some routine updates eventually.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_The regiments were ready and would go through basic drills over the next five days before the first one was sent to Jotunheim to clear the area and establish a presence on the planet._

_Loki had five days to get his men together._

He spent the entire night awake and rustling through sheets of paper while scribbling notes out to himself.

All told, at the end of the day he had twenty-nine volunteers. He almost groaned in frustration at the odd number until he remembered that he had not counted himself, and therefore had an even thirty.

Two protectors per team meant he had the capacity to field fifteen teams. He frowned, not quite satisfied with the number, but convinced himself that he could still make it work, and it might in fact be better with a smaller number.

Despite the late hour he walked up one level to the healer's ward to make sure that they would be able to provide thirty healers to pair with the men that had volunteered.

To his immense relief, the chief healer could match his number.

"Wonderful. Yes, thirty will definitely be doable. I will provide you with a list tomorrow afternoon. Do you have any specifications?" he asked.

Loki shook his head, "No, but I would greatly appreciate any kind of dossier you could manage for each healer who will be part of the program. I am trying to keep each team as balanced as possible. Any additional information that you can provide as far as skill level or special strengths would make my job much easier."

The healer gave a quirky smile, "I'm sure that I can find something to help you out."

He left the ward and rushed back to the room to plan further. Not having a list of healers until tomorrow afternoon meant that there was little he could do to form teams at the moment, but he did not leave.

Diligently working through every sheet, he tried to get a sense of each man, familiarizing himself with their names and anything that separated them from the others. He was surprised to see how different each man was, having assumed that they were all cut from the same mold.

He had preliminary pairs in mind, although nothing would be set until he had the healers and their information in front of him. The men would come for their first meeting in two days. He needed to have the teams and a plan by that time so they had three days to work together before it was time. Although none of his teams would leave with the first deployment, he planned to have at least two teams ready and on call at all times once the first regiment landed on Jotunheim.

Swiveling his chair around with a sigh he stared at the map of the planet. _Fighting on their planet puts us at an immense disadvantage. Not only do they have upper hand in terms of terrain, but they draw their strength from the cold. Without the Casket they are greatly diminished, but Jotunheim provides a naturally fruitful environment. _

_They can even use their surroundings as camouflage, while we will stand out in our gold and red. They will know the area better than we do and will have access to their men and supplies, while we will be dependent on the Bifrost. _

_However, our army is better trained and most likely better organized. The Frost Giants will be forced to fight from a position of weakness and could be preoccupied with protecting sites or protecting family. Laufey will be there and therefore he is vulnerable. _

_If I remember correctly, we have seven regiments and two smaller ones with reserves. One will be sent to establish a preliminary site and secure the area. We'll have to set up tents after that so there is some place for them to rest. Of course they'll rotate the regiments, but we will be in trouble if this war drags on._

_So what can we do to end it quickly? What are our goals?_

_Well, father wants a lasting peace. Which is why we aren't simply decimating the planet with the Bifrost. Hard to achieve peace when the planet has been obliterated._

_The best chance of peace is to remove Laufey from the throne, get some new blood in. Preferably some new blood who also wants peace. So we are going to Jotunheim with the primary goal of killing Laufey. Anything after that will come secondary. _

_What are the Frost Giants fighting for? _

He paused in this thinking, truly stumped. Leaning back and steepling his fingers together, he tried to find an answer.

_Surely Laufey's ultimate goal is to reclaim the Casket and restore Jotunheim to its previous power. He saw his opportunity when father came to save us, because he had originally offered to let us go. Following that, he will most likely use this war as a diversion, and search for the passage that I used to get to Jotunheim and use it to come in and steal the Casket and murder father. _

With a frown that wrinkled his forehead he stood, knowing what he had to do but hating the very thought.

He left for the Bridge, heedless of the early rays of light indicating that he had been up all night. Readying his horse slowly he tried to delay but in the end, galloped hard towards the Bifrost.

_If it were possible, I would swear that he looks smug._

Loki watched the guardian watch him, annoyed. He decided to take a page out of Thor's book and not mince any words, wanting to get it over with.

"There are passages between the realms that you cannot see, Heimdall," he said.

The gatekeeper's eyes widened momentarily, surprised at the blunt statement from the usually loquacious young man.

"I suspect that Laufey will use this war as a distraction to try to find the passage and come here to steal the Casket back. If you keep your gaze on me for a while longer, I would go to the site myself, so that you may know its location and monitor it," Loki tried to end the conversation but it wasn't to be.

"How fortunate that you know where the passage is," there was no inflection in his voice, but the sarcasm was noted. "And what makes you think that I would be able to See any intruders, considering that the last time they came they escaped my notice?"

Loki gnashed his teeth together, knowing that now that the topic had been breached, Heimdall would not let it go.

"You saw me. When we returned from Jotunheim?" he asked instead. "You knew?"

Heimdall understood, "Yes. I knew. Your father walked right by me when he brought you here after the war. He showed you to me and said, 'This is my son.'"

Loki was momentarily silenced, but he forced himself to continue, "I do not want the Frost Giants using that passage for their own purposes. It could be a great tool for us but it could just as easily be a weak point. You must watch over the site. You will be able to see any intruders because they will not be cloaked."

_There, as much of an admission as anyone will ever get. _

Heimdall seemed to understand, or at least had gotten what he wanted and knew better than to push for more, because he dipped his head and stated, "Go to the passage. I will watch and stand guard over it."

Happy to have the conversation over, he turned back and mounted his horse, riding hard back to the palace and dismounting. Since he could not cloak himself with Heimdall watching he had to sneak through the passages in the Lower City, although the early hour made his mission easier.

He knew the area well, but he had to close his eyes and focus on the energy thrumming around the site before he could accurately pinpoint the wormhole.

The site itself was nothing to look at; it was a side alley between two buildings, neither very imposing, but it was a sufficiently secluded place. He wondered at the convenience of the location for a moment before remembering his purpose there.

Loki knew that Heimdall was watching him and to make sure that the guardian knew the exact site he extended his hand slowly, watching in wonderment as his fingers disappeared into the passage.

Not willing to risk anything, magic this strong was very temperamental, he quickly withdrew his hand and turned on his heel, confident that Heimdall knew the location and that he could leave the site.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He was back in the room, munching quietly on a breakfast roll that he had grabbed from the kitchens on his way back. The talk with Heimdall had gone better than he expected and it was still early morning.

He rubbed his eyes blearily and decided to sleep until lunch, knowing that by then he would have the names of the healers and after that it would be another late night preparing the teams and getting ready for the first meeting.

Loki fell onto his bed gracelessly and smiled slightly, remembering with humor when Thor had remarked on his sleeping habits one morning.

Although he was a light sleeper, he could usually be found with limbs array and the covers bunched up underneath him. For reasons he couldn't name, Thor had thought it the funniest thing at the time.

He drifted off quickly in the cool darkness of his room, not bothering to set an alarm. Along with being a light sleeper, he had an abnormally developed internal clock, and usually woke up exactly when he meant to with no outside stimulus.

It had proven to be very useful in both setting up pranks and avoiding Thor's own attempts at tricking him.

As intended, he woke a little over an hour and a half later, just as the afternoon meal was being eaten. He had no intention of going to the hall, though, and took his time getting up.

He stood slowly and stretched like a cat, enjoying the moment of peace before quickly getting dressed and going back to the kitchen. He ducked around one of the chefs and grabbed a sandwich, quickly leaving as he spotted his mother making his way through the hall.

Not wanting to get caught up when he had work to do he snuck behind a pillar and waited until she had walked past him before edging out and back towards the room.

He was pleased to see the thick envelope that had been shoved under the door, and sat down to review everything as he polished off his sandwich.

He noted with appreciate that the chief healer had more than fulfilled his request of supplying relevant information on each healer. Loki started looking over the papers with the same procedure that he had used for his volunteers, learning their names and observing any special skills or training that they had received.

When he was done he went over to the shelf and pulled out his papers from the volunteers, and carefully arranged each sheet on the table so that every one was visible.

_There needs to be a balance within each team. I would rather keep every team equally equipped to handle any situation than make teams favorable to only one situation. It should not be a problem to create equivalent teams, there are more than enough qualified men here._

He decided to keep the pairs that he had mentally laid out the other day, finding no reason that they would not work well together. From there he paired off the healers, ensuring that neither had similar specializations so that between the two healers there was a better chance of them being able to handle any range of injuries.

He spent a little longer than he had wanted to with the healers, initially unhappy with several of the pairings. The resulting shuffle made him much more satisfied, and then it was just a not-so-simple matter of putting a pair of protectors together with a pair of healers.

An hour and a half later, he was rather pleased with the teams, especially his own; which he was not at all ashamed to admit that he had hand-selected. _No reason to lead a division and work with a team that I cannot stand to be around._

He spent the rest of the afternoon dutifully outlining his agenda for the first meeting and several training exercises that the teams would participate in over the next several days.

As the sun set, Loki started getting antsy and was desperate to leave the room while still remaining productive. He made up his mind and quickly wrote out four copies of the list of teams and took two of them to the healer's ward.

He enjoyed the walk around the ward as he tracked down the chief healer, and Eldred greeted him with a wave.

He handed the lists over, saying, "Your help in this matter is most appreciated. The information you provided for each healer made everything much easier for me. I have made a copy of the teams, and would ask that you ensure that every volunteer sees the list and knows their team."

The man smiled, "It was not a problem. We are all very grateful for your new division. I am very eager to see how it will perform in its first test. As I understand it we will be landing troops on Jotunheim in four days?"

Loki nodded, "Yes, although I will most likely not deploy any of my teams for several days after that. With any luck the first regiment will be able to secure a site with minimal casualties and I will have a little longer to prepare the men."

Eldred nodded in understanding, "Of course. Yes, messy business, this war. I am old enough to just barely remember the last one."

Loki remained silent, not wishing to move the conversation to another point and risk seeming rude, but not sure how to respond either.

The chief healer seemed to understand and offered a small smile, "Well. I shall post this and see to it that everyone listed knows their team."

"Wonderful. I have made a note on one of the sheets as to the time of the first meeting. I would be much obliged if you could make certain that each member is aware of the meeting tomorrow morning," Loki said gratefully.

"Yes, of course. And feel free to stop by with any other concerns. I am very interested in this endeavor and will assist you in any way that I can," the old man said.

Loki nodded again and exited the ward. _The meeting with the healers will not take very long; their objective will be much clearer and they have some idea of what is expected of them. It will be much shorter than the meeting I have planned for the other volunteers in any case. I must remember to set up a larger meeting for everyone in two days. _

He planned for a much more in-depth meeting with the protectors; their skills in defense were all adequate and he knew there was nothing in that sector that he could teach them. Instead he would try to explain the importance of observing the battlefield and teaching a handful of memory tricks to ensure that the information that came back was accurate.

_Wrong information is often more harmful than no information._

He cringed at the thought of twenty-nine untrained men reporting crucial information to him, but he shoved his doubts aside.

At the first group meeting he wanted to go over basic formations and expectations, and establish a rotating system for each team. He would try to give each squad some measure of autonomy within the larger system, mostly because he did not want to deal with everyone and it would be easier if each team could deal with any internal problems on their own.

He did not expect many outside problems, but he did plan to prepare them for any situation. As such he would propose that everyone learn a set of hand signs for the most basic communications that they would likely encounter in a hostile environment.

Having a uniform set of signs would enable teams to communicate with each other on site as well, should the need for a team to act as backup arise.

He decided to start making the list so that they would have something to work from at the group meeting in two days. He quickly ran out of simple commands like 'left' 'right' 'retreat' and 'advance' and raised an eyebrow quizzically as he stared at the otherwise blank sheet.

Admitting defeat with a sigh, he decided to visit Eldred again, knowing that the man would have some useful phrases to add that the healers, at least, would use.

He was a great help, and after explaining his intent Eldred had almost a dozen phrases added to his list. After that, he headed to the training room to see if Thor could expand his list.

He did not find his brother but Volstagg and Hogun were there. Swallowing his pride he walked over to them, hiding a wince at Volstagg's loud greeting.

He got right to the point, not wanting to waste any more time than he had to. "If you have a moment would you consent to looking over this lsit?" he asked, holding out the paper.

Volstagg took it from him, both glancing at it curiously. He explained, "I would like for the teams to have hand signs or code words to cover the most important concepts in the event that time is short or a message must be delivered silently."

He gestured to the paper, "These are what I have so far. If there is anything that you could think to add I would be most greatful."

They were silent for several minutes before Hogun spoke up, "You have the most important words, but there are codes that the army uses that your men should recognize as well. I am certain that they already know them, but it could be useful to have the healers recognize them as well."

Loki nodded thoughtfully, _that can be done within the teams. _"Thank you for your help. It is very much appreciated."

He retrieved his list and went back to the room, but found that he had actually accomplished everything that he wanted to get done before the first meeting with the healers the next morning.

It was late afternoon and he debated his options for a moment before deciding to go back to the training room to practice. He would be a protector, after all, and he understood the importance of practice.

He quickly bypassed the larger area in favor of one of the longer rooms specifically set aside for target practice. He set up several stationary dummies and some weighted paper targets on a moving line.

Taking his place at the front of the room he pulled out some of his throwing knives, trying to start out slow; a stationary target from a stationary position.

He moved up slowly, making sure that he always had at least five consecutive hits and a total of nine out of ten or better. The moving targets were his favorite and he greatly enjoyed running through several positions to change the angle of his throws.

When he had exhausted his options with his knives he moved onto his magic. Loki tried to work on his cloaking and the timing between cloaking himself and creating an illusion.

He grew bored of that quickly and moved onto a training style that he used to work on offensive and defensive magic, although it worked much more effectively when he could use it with other people.

Typically he had someone attack a target while he worked to shield it and then switched to attacking a target. Because the spells he used were intended to kill and maim he couldn't use them against real opponents.

Of course he had dozens of non-lethal spells that he had no problem testing on Thor, especially as they were growing up, but those spells rarely had a place on the battlefield.

His spells came quickly and accurately, the words almost an afterthought due to the countless hours he had spent memorizing and practicing. He focused on his shields and on projecting shields onto other targets before testing its strength with a blasting spell.

Loki paused after another hour to catch his breath and whispered a cooling spell, his hand indicating the small fires that crackled on some of the targets.

He watched curiously as the spell quelled the fires and wondered about the Frost Giants' power.

_It must be an innate magic, which means that it can be harnessed and learned once it is possessed. I already know that I have the potential since I used it accidentally on Jotunheim._

He stretched out a hand, trying to visualize his goal and summon a light frost, but he was not at all surprised when nothing happened.

_I should look into this later. As useful as it could be when fighting on Jotunheim I highly doubt that I could discover how to wield and control it so soon. A power of this magnitude would take months of preparation and trial experiments. _

He could not resist being tempted, however, and vowed to dedicate some time to unlocking its secrets when he could.

For the time being he left the room and walked through the main training hall, apologizing automatically when he almost ran into someone.

"Loki?" the person asked incredulously. "Is that you?"

He looked up, immediately recognizing his brother's voice.

"Yes, it's me," he replied, sarcasm evident.

Thor ignored it as usual, "I have been looking everywhere for you. Have you been here training this whole time?"

"If by 'this whole time' you mean the last two hours or so, then yes, I have been here this whole time," he said.

Thor ignored him again, "Come," he said, grabbing Loki's shoulder and steering him out of the room and into the hall. "I have something for you."

Loki remained quiet but very curious as he was pulled into his brother's room. Thor went to a closet and returned holding a sword, which he presented to Loki.

He held it away from his body, staring at the scabbard in awe. He noticed the colors and design and immediately looked at his brother accusingly, "You had this specially made!"

Thor grinned happily, "Of course. We're going off to war. You'll need something sturdier than your little throwing knives. We learned the stances when we were boys, and I doubt you've forgotten them, so it is a practical gift."

Loki was touched that his brother had put so much thought into it. He admired the sword- _his _sword- again. The scabbard was a deep green with inlaid silver dancing in a pattern up and down the length.

He slowly pulled the sword out, immediately appreciating its size and weight. It was obviously designed for quick slashes rather than overpowering strikes, but it was clear that the sword was well crafted and would withstand a substantial opposing force.

He held it aloft, Thor holding the scabbard for him, and Loki took several steps back before swinging his sword experimentally and moving slowly through the most basic attack that he remembered.

The moves were fluid, if slow, and surprisingly precise and he gave a wide smile while sheathing his sword back in its scabbard.

Loki held the sword closely and turned to his brother, "Thank you, brother. This is a magnificent gift. I will use it well."

Thor nodded, pleased, "I am glad you like it. Be sure to spend some time practicing. We drilled often enough as children that you should remember the moves, but speed is important. It will not matter if you can do the move if you're too slow to execute it before you are killed."

Loki looked at his brother oddly, noticing the all too innocent smile on his face.

He sighed, unwilling to wait Thor out, "What else did you do?"

His brother smirked, "Fandral _might_ be waiting in the training room to engage in some friendly drills and sparring."

Loki grinned, unexpectedly pleased that Thor had thought that far ahead and excited to test his skills against their friend who specialized in swordplay.

He followed his brother out of his room and both made their way to the training room.

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I'm editing the next chapter trying to find a way to get some of the action in (as an evil cliffhanger, but if that's what works then I'll take it...)

And a note: I am absolutely terrible at making up names, so any names of characters (like Eldred) that aren't explicitly named in the movie will have a name borrowed from either Norse mythology or the comic books. So don't PM me saying that the lieutenant that I named Baldur is actually supposed to be a god and Odin's son because I don't care-so to reiterate: just taking the name, not the regular character/person that the name represents.

Ok...

Always

Sinkme


	5. Chapter 5

So sorry this took forever. Nothing about this chapter wanted to cooperate. I am working on chapters 6 and 8 now. 7 and 9 are mostly done and that should be it (I think...)

Enjoy!

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_Loki grinned, unexpectedly pleased that Thor had thought that far ahead and excited to test his skills against their friend who specialized in swordplay. _

_He followed his brother out of his room and both made their way to the training room._

Loki awoke very satisfied with the work that he had accomplished yesterday, especially in regard to his swordplay.

Fandral had dominated him easily, but he was never boastful and always coached him through his attacks. It had gone very much like this; _'Down. Block. Watch your elbow. Attack! Attack! Look for the openings I'm giving you. And…You're dead. Try again. Keep your eyes up Loki, focus on me. Act, don't react. Staying on the defensive the whole time is a good way to get killed. _

He had very slowly worked his way up and he was incredibly grateful to Fandral for his help. They would be meeting again at mid-day to continue training.

For the time being, he had the meeting with the healers, so he went to the room to get everything ready and to greet the early ones.

He was a tad nervous but he shook it off, knowing that the healers were professionals and that they knew what was expected of them.

As anticipated, he had just enough time to get his papers ready before people started trickling in. He noticed with a satisfied smile that both of the healers on his team had come early and he shook their hands warmly as he greeted them.

He took his place at the table as more of the healers came in until at last he counted thirty heads and called the meeting to order.

"Thank you all for coming. I trust you know why you are here. Before we move on has everyone seen the list with their team and become familiar with their names?"

He saw heads nod and no one raised an objection so he continued, "Excellent. Your purpose in this division is much more defined than your teammates'. As a four-man cell, you will be put onto a rotation. Most of your time as a unit will be spent on location, assisting the wounded on the battlefield or behind our lines and helping them back to the Bifrost site.

"Teams not on planet will either be on-call at all times in the event of an emergency, or they will be at the Bifrost here to escort the wounded back to the healer's ward."

He stopped for a moment to survey the room and see if there were any questions. No one moved and he continued once again, "While on Jotunheim you are responsible for those men that your are treating, but at the same time, your teammates are responsible for you. Do not, under any circumstances, go off on your own."

He stopped again and looked around the room once more, trying to impress upon them the importance of that order.

"There will be several days of training before the first regiment is deployed and then we must be ready. There will be a full meeting tomorrow at the same time where you will meet your team and we will engage in some training exercises. If there are no questions I will see everyone tomorrow."

He was surprised when no one asked him anything and a moment later they began to clear out, some giving him friendly nods on their way out. He supposed that they might be waiting until the meeting tomorrow to see if their questions were answered, but in any case, it was not important.

Loki went back to his room to change and retrieve his sword. He was much too early to meet Fandral to train, but he headed to the training room anyway, knowing that he could train on his own or find a sparring partner if he felt so inclined.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Duck!" Fandral's voice rang out from the corner of the training room they occupied. He had spent the afternoon switching between practicing on his own and practicing with others as they came and went through the room.

He had had several worthwhile partners, and three who had left him alone after he warned them of his rather novice status. Fandral had come earlier than expected, and they picked up where they had left off.

Seeing that it was too late to duck as Fandral had warned him, he threw up a temporary shield with a spell, acknowledging Fandral's annoyed look and replying, "We both know that this training will help but I will not be anywhere close to competent. Magic will always be my first inclination."

Again, Fandral gave him with a look, never stopping his dance, and forcing Loki to keep moving. He was surprised with how much he was enjoying himself, and he could see that Fandral was smiling as well.

"Block, go hard. Drive through the opening. Don't use defensive moves, use a-" Loki's sword went flying and he glared at his friend.

"Use a counterattack," Fandral finished, with one of those dashing smiles that only he could pull off. Rolling his eyes, Loki walked over to retrieve his weapon and take his stance once more.

He paused when he noticed that Fandral did not take his stance as well, and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Someone else will be taking over for a moment while I observe," Fandral gave a crafty smile and Loki wanted to smack him when he noticed Sif making her way over, her double sided glaive resting casually on her shoulder.

He turned to Fandral, "I hate you."

Fandral just smirked, "Come now. I will be able to see what you have to focus on much better if I am not the one fighting you. Neither Volstagg nor Thor use a weapon comparable to a sword, so Sif was the only one left."

Loki did not deign to respond to that, knowing that Fandral was enjoying this way too much despite the logic behind his claim. Sif had been their not so secret fear growing up. She could hit hard when she wanted to, and weapons class had been a nightmare when she was angry.

Instead he took a deep breath and forced a smile out, "Thank you for agreeing to help me, Sif. It means a lot."

She rolled her eyes, "Please. The chance to beat you up again? I would have taken this opportunity even if Fandral had not bribed me."

Loki sent Fandral a self-suffering look which he ignored, "Avoid using any spells for as long as you can-" He held up a hand to cut off Loki's immediate protest. "I am sure that some reflexes cannot be ignored. By all means shield yourself if you are about to be decapitated, but strictly defensive spells."

He could agree to that and tried to ignore Sif's predatory smirk as he nodded to Fandral. They moved into position and he had to remind himself that her weapon was very different from Fandral's and that would force him to adapt accordingly.

As predicted, she charged in first, coming in with an overhead swing that he blocked and shoved aside. He ducked as her second blade passed over his head and blocked the follow up strike aimed at his unprotected back.

He pushed it aside and rolled forward to give himself some space. She followed quickly and he took the chance to attack. Loki's thrust was parried away by the middle section of her staff and he found himself briefly off-balance.

Her slash would have caught his stomach if he hadn't thrown up a hasty shield and Sif glared at his spell. He was unapologetic, however, and tried a combination move that he was partial to; faking a low sweep he waited until she shifted and then he spun around, his kick connecting with her chin.

He grinned victoriously when she landed hard, but his smirk was wiped off a moment later with a leg sweep from Sif, and he joined her on the ground, her glaive hovering above his throat.

Annoyed at himself he turned his eyes to Fandral and pointedly ignored the wide smile on his friend's face. Sif carefully removed her weapon from his throat and they both stood.

"You're definitely getting better, Loki," Fandral said. "It is obvious that this is not your natural inclination, and I doubt you will ever completely focus on swordplay, but the moves are becoming automatic and you are thinking ahead.

"You are still not committing completely to your moves, your body has to follow your strike, otherwise it will not be strong enough and you will be off balance."

Loki nodded and then groaned audibly as his friend continued, "Go again."

Sif moved into position and he mirrored her move after a moment, knowing he would regret this training session later.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

His meeting in the early evening with the volunteers had been very similar to his meeting with the healers. The men were alert and focused and he explained their purpose clearly.

"We will be there to protect the healers and their injured charges. You are all warriors, so it is necessary that you fight your impulses and not join in the fight that will be going on around you. If is absolutely critical that you never leave a healer unprotected, and that the team stays together."

He held up one of several pieces of paper. "I have the list of teams here, and the meeting tomorrow will be for meeting your team and working on some strategies and training.

"Now, your presence on Jotunheim will also be very important for gathering information on the Frost Giants. How many of you have training in observing and reporting relevant information?"

As expected, only around a dozen hands raised. "It is critical that everyone is comfortable with describing the kind of information that would help plan for a quick war. Any kind of numerical data that can be generated and analyzed could make our lives easier. If you notice an encampment or a pattern to their formations, you must report it to me.

Now, you will be set up in teams with three others, two healers and two of you. We are deploying the first regiment in only three days. We must be ready by then. Teams will be put through a rotation-" he held up another sheet of paper. "And most of your time will be spent on planet. There are fifteen teams, and nine of them will be worked through their own rotation with no less than four teams on site during any large confrontation.

"Three teams will be on-call at all times in the event of an emergency, and the remaining three will be at the Bifrost site to transport the wounded soldiers that return to the healer's ward. Are there any questions?"

A hand rose, "How long is each rotation?"

Loki answered, "I have planned to reshuffle the assignments every five days, although there will be some measure of flexibility depending on the tempo of the war and barring any injury to a member of one of the teams."

He looked over the room, "We will meet tomorrow morning in this room and the healers will be joining us. Please look over the lists and be familiar with the names of your teammates and your first assignment. And if anyone has any proficiency in spells please remain behind for a moment."

The men got up and shuffled over to the papers that Loki had placed around the table. His team would be on Jotunheim for their first journey to ensure that it went as smoothly as possible. Only a handful of men stayed behind and he looked them over. He was intrigued to notice one of them was his teammate; his dossier had not indicated any kind of skill in magic.

When the man noticed his inquisitive stare he offered a sheepish smile, "I don't actually have any talent with spells that would help in this area. I'll wait over there."

Loki ignored his curious teammate for the moment and turned to the men. "If you have the ability, I would like for each of you to learn how to shield yourself and others from sight. It would be very beneficial for keeping your team safe on Jotunheim. We will go over the spell and practice it after the training tomorrow, so come prepared."

They nodded and several looked excited as they left. Loki turned to his teammate who stood and walked back over, hand extended.

"I'm Serrure. I thought I would introduce myself, since we'll be on the same team."

Loki shook his hand, a tentative smile playing on his face, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Serrure. I am Loki."

He paused for a moment, and his hesitance must have shown clearly on his face, because Serrure prompted him, "Go ahead and ask."

"Very well," Loki replied. "You said earlier that you had no talent in spells that would help in this area. What did you mean?"

Serrure laughed lightly, "You caught that? Ok fine. I'm not proficient in any kind of battle spells; nothing flashy or useful in the slightest. Minor spells, though, I'm a fair hand. It's nothing that training can fix, I've tried for years now, and my teachers have tried everything else. I just can't do them."

Loki hummed, "Very interesting. It's not unheard of, especially considering that most people have little to no aptitude for more advanced magic. Have you tried a focus?"

He nodded, "Dozens of them. Nothing fit right. Every object we tried, those both orthodox and not, clashed horribly with my magic. I assume you ask because of your brother?"

"You know about that?" Loki asked with a laugh of his own.

"Everyone knows about that! It's common knowledge that Prince Thor had no hand at spells until he was gifted with Mjolnir. Although compared to you, even now I'm sure he's a novice. Your prowess in the field of spells is almost as legendary as your brother's fighting ability among the men."

Loki's stunned look had Serrure laughing again, and Loki found that he quite enjoyed how easy going his teammate was.

"Did you not know?" Serrure looked amazed. "You might have had private lessons growing up, but anyone who observed your practicing quickly told all of his friends. Your adventures didn't help the gossip much either, I'm sure."

"Adventures?" Loki looked impossibly innocent. "I haven't the faintest idea of what you are referring to."

"Of course," Serrure returned with a look of his own. "I must have misspoke. There is no way in the Nine Realms that Prince Loki ever got caught doing anything that was not proper and appropriately boring."

"That's just the thing," Loki smiled deviously. "_I _was never caught in the act."

Serrure rolled his eyes as another laugh escaped him, "It seems you have some tales to tell."

"You cannot even begin to imagine. Well," Loki clapped his hands together. "What say we retire for a meal and talk some more? If I remember correctly, you were originally from a reinforcement division?"

Serrure smiled again, "What a memory you have. Yes, I was trained with them and learned tactics and strategy concerned with augmenting a regiment already in control of an area."

Loki motioned with a hand towards the door and the two walked out, still talking.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a little inconvenient to drill the teams while simultaneously trying to do the tasks with his own group, but Loki managed as best as he could.

He had started off easy, letting the teams get to know each other and going through the hand signs for each of the carefully selected phrases, or rather ideas and concepts, and making sure that everyone had the motion correct before moving on.

It was tedious and repetitive, but it was important that they knew the signs and had them correct. After a while he changed it up and had the teams practice among themselves, having one person do a sign and the others identify the command with a response.

His own team was doing well, he and Serrure had actually practiced last night when they ate together. Loki had been unconsciously practicing one as they spoke and Serrrure had hounded him until he explained the concept and taught him the signs.

To say the least, they were both proficient, and both of the healers, Atli and Fafnir, had picked them up rather quickly.

The rest of the drills he was less enthused about, and had less of an absolute plan and more of a goal. He had ensured that the training room would be empty and planned to go through battle scenarios, focusing on an overall understanding of how the four-man team would function.

They would build up over the next days, focusing on teamwork and breaking up the protectors into smaller groups to work through some combat training while the healers reviewed procedures and ironed out the general method for triage.

It was not nearly as dull as Loki had feared it would be. He was pleased to see that each team was getting more comfortable around each other and there were no obvious personality clashes.

He and Serrure were getting along surprisingly well. This was probably the biggest shock for Loki, who was not used to immediately connecting to anyone he met. It had taken him _years_ to figure out Thor, and the others had been mostly befriended out of their connection to his brother.

He actively sought out Serrure's company at meals during the days before the first deployment, and Serrure obliged him in several training sessions. He was proficient in swordplay, although Loki learned that he preferred a reinforced staff and a knife.

The problem with the staff, however, as Loki pointed out, was that it couldn't be used as a strong offensive weapon against the Frost Giants. So they sparred with swords and Loki even let Serrure drill him in a couple of hand-to-hand moves in order to supplement his repertoire.

To his frustration, Serrure's earlier claim about his magic was accurate. He took his friend aside after an afternoon spent teaching the spellcasters how to shield themselves and others from sight.

He was endlessly curious about Serrure's declaration that there was nothing he could use to focus or channel his magic in order to wield it for other spells. Nothing that he observed or probed could refute that statement and he had to temporarily acknowledge defeat in the face of their looming deadline.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The first regiment would be on Jotunheim in the morning. Loki did not sleep at all, but had to retreat to his room to avoid his mother sending him to bed like a child after he was found in the training room too late.

Thor would not be with the first regiment, but the moment the area was secured he would be there with the second regiment to hold down the perimeter and establish a presence on the planet.

He did not want to admit it, but he was very anxious about his brother being there without him. Not because he could protect his brother from any physical danger, but the two of them had always gotten into trouble as a pair, and therefore had always gotten out of trouble as a pair.

Loki had fixed the rotation so that for the foreseeable duration of the war, his team would be on the planet, with three cycles of being home but on-call. He knew he would be restless with the knowledge that Thor was alone on Jotunheim, although it helped a little that Sif and the Warriors Three would be there with him.

Only a little, though.

His mind raced, and this time he cursed his endless imagination for keeping him nervous and on-edge. He could not find rest when there were so many things about the coming war that he had no control over.

Frustrated he walked quietly out into the hall and spent the rest of the night wandering aimlessly throughout the marvelous palace.

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I'm sorry I couldn't get any real action in here! I have the scene written and it WILL be in the next chapter so hopefully you'll like it and it'll be worth it.

The name of Loki's teammate/friend Serrure is actually taken from the comics. It was the name Loki went by when he was resurrected (because apparently he died…?) at least that's what Wikipedia told me.

Also, I highly recommend that anyone who likes mythology or really liked the movie read up on some Norse mythology. It's different and so very very interesting.

Always

Sinkme


	6. Chapter 6

I made it longer to make up for the fact that this took longer (again!) to publish than I had anticipated. As long as nothing changes (and I doubt it will) it looks like there will be 2 chapters after this, both of which are mostly done and already uploaded. Thanks for sticking with this! Enjoy!

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_Frustrated he walked quietly out into the hall and spent the rest of the night wandering aimlessly throughout the marvelous palace. _

He watched solemnly from a balcony in the palace as the first regiment moved out. He tracked them across the bridge as long as he could until they were out of his sight, and then he waited for the blast from the Bifrost, signaling their departure.

Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three stood nearby. He turned abruptly and left them there to seek out a distraction.

Unsurprisingly he found himself leaving the palace and heading towards Serrure's apartment. It still shocked him how compatible they were; he felt as though they had been friends for years rather than days.

Serrure opened the door at his knock and let him in with what Loki had come to identify as his trademark smile. His friend was oddly silent for several minutes and Loki was grateful for the time to compose himself.

He was still not comfortable with how much the war was already affecting him, but he brushed it off as concern for Thor and compartmentalized his fear and anxiety.

"So, we're ready?" Serrure asked.

Loki nodded, "Once the area is secured a messenger will be sent back. If it becomes necessary we will send a team or two immediately. Otherwise, we'll have two teams there at all times rotating through the nine that will be on planet. Hopefully having those two teams there will be enough.

"Although really there will be one team for the outbreak of whatever comes, and one team there to back them up temporarily while one of the protectors comes back through the Bifrost to summon the other seven teams or however many are needed."

Serrure nodded, "We'll be fine. These guys are already trained well and they know what they're doing."

Loki nodded absentmindedly, unable to think past the last couple days of training, trying desperately to remember if he had taught them everything they needed to know.

Serrure shook his shoulder lightly and waited until Loki's green eyes met his own brown ones.

"We're going to be fine," he said again.

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The messenger had come through early the next morning with the news.

Loki listened as Thor related the story while preparing to leave.

"We have the site set up, actually a larger area than we had anticipated. The Frost Giants were not prepared and did not fight as hard as we had thought they would-"

His brother walked into his closet to retrieve another cloak and his next words were muffled.

"-thank our luck that they were unprepared. But we will use this opportunity to land two more regiments and ensure the stability of the region before advancing the line. The Bifrost must be kept secure and now that we have established a presence, it is unlikely that the Jotuns will sit aside quietly."

Loki watched as Thor threw several items carelessly into his bag and could not check his response. Wordlessly he took the bag out of his brother's hands and emptied it onto the bed.

Thor did not comment, more than used to this behavior, and continued to collect items from around his room and placed them on his bed as Loki repacked his rucksack.

He worked in silence, listening as Thor continued, "We do not need any of your teams yet, there was little opposition in the opening fight and those few wounded have already returned."

Loki finally had something to say, "Actually, two teams will be joining you and the deployment. Since the war will soon escalate severely it is wise to take advantage of the current quiet and establish our presence there for the outbreak of future battles."

Thor turned an eye on his brother, "Let me guess. Your team will be there."

Loki favored his brother with a small smile, "Of course. As commander it makes sense that I be there first to set the ground work and make the decision regarding teams coming to the planet later."

His brother snorted, "And this has nothing to do with you worrying about me?"

Loki gave him his best innocent face, "Wherever did you get that idea? It is not a secret that you are much stronger than I. I know very well that you are more than capable of taking care of yourself in a fight."

Thor growled, "Do not get cute with me, brother."

Loki's smile dropped as he looked at Thor serious face, "This is not like our other adventures. This is a war. People will get hurt and they will _die._ You are not allowed to put yourself at risk. _Especially not for me._"

He blinked, very surprised at the change in Thor's demeanor. His brother had used that tone only a handful of times in his life, and it had always been directed at Loki.

"What is this really about, Thor?" Loki sensed a hidden depth to his brother's distress.

Thor sighed and Loki was silent, letting his brother speak when he was ready.

"The last time we were on Jotunheim you were wounded. You could have died and it was my fault" Thor wiped a hand down his face, the anguish clear.

Loki yearned to come clean to his brother, to take some of the guilt away and tell him that it wasn't his fault. _He_ had actually instigated the whole incident by letting the Frost Giants into the relics chamber in the first place.

He bit his tongue. _Now is not the time. We will be on Jotunheim tonight and Thor cannot be distracted. Besides, he will not be able to keep this quiet and no one can know of this. It escalated from a malicious prank to a serious offense much too quickly and the truth would only hurt more. _

He acknowledged the very large part of selfishness and self-preservation that weighed on his silence, but he knew that this was one secret that would never see the light of day if he had anything to say about it.

"It will be bad enough that you will be there and most likely in the thick of things," Thor continued. "But knowing that you will be there to keep an eye on me is too much. I cannot have you shadowing me like you usually do. I cannot go to Jotunheim with the knowledge that at any moment you could be hurt or killed because you were looking out for me."

Loki did not answer, although he wanted to make the same argument to Thor, knowing that his brother was more than a little inclined to respond with extreme violence to anyone who threatened him with harm.

"Will you be alright there?" Thor asked over his brother's silence. "Knowing the truth?"

He nodded slowly, understanding what Thor was so vaguely alluding to, "I will be. I have not thought about it and I have done my best not to dwell on it, for it is as you said. My family is here and nothing will change that."

Thor smiled a genuine smile and grabbed his now perfectly packed bag from his bed. He placed a hand tenderly on the side of his brother's face, "Go and pack. I will see you at the Bifrost tonight."

Loki nodded and left the room, turning automatically towards his own room and he methodically packed, his body moving on autopilot as his mind swirled with unwelcome thoughts.

_Will I be alright? I had not thought of what it meant for me, but Jotunheim was- _could have been-_ my home. My true father is there. My _race_ is there. It is hard to imagine them as such after being raised with their faces as the monsters and enemies of all of Asgard. Does it change anything for me?_

He had no answer and that bothered him more than his looming departure.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Frigga was hovering as they ate dinner.

It was a small affair- rare for Asgardians- but she had insisted that tonight be only family, and it did not seem to cause quite as much of a stir as it normally would.

Loki assumed that the others who were leaving were appreciating their own last meal with their families for a while.

She barely touched her food, although in reality Thor was the only one really eating. Odin took a bite every few minutes, as though he had to remind himself of his purpose there at the table. His eye took turns staring at each son and then looking off into space.

Loki was anxious and barely touched his food, moving it around on his plate as he often had when he was a child.

His mother had hardly even served herself anything; instead she focused on alternated between sitting and staring at her children and fretting anxiously around the table, constantly touching their shoulders and faces and asking if either boy wanted another helping of food.

Thor seemed oblivious to it all, but Loki knew better. When their mother had been at his shoulder he had caught her small hand in one of his own and offered her a small smile. She had kissed his temple and stroked his hair for several moments before sitting back down.

Only to repeat the process with Loki himself a moment later.

"Mother," he said softly, although the word echoed in the quiet room. All eyes turned to him. "We will be fine."

He held her hand as Thor had and looked into her eyes, knowing that she would worry anyway but desperate to ease some of her distress.

Thor picked up on it quickly, "Loki is right, Mother. The men are highly trained and we have the advantage in numbers and training."

Father spoke next, although his words were, as always, less reassuring than they were painfully blunt. "Loki will be back periodically as his team is rotated, though there will be times where he will be on Jotunheim for several days. Thor will have to stay with his men, however, and it is unlikely that he will be home for some time."

Loki assumed that his mother had come to appreciate the honest truth behind her husband's words, otherwise his father would not have survived their marriage this long.

He could understand the need for his father to not sugarcoat the situation; as king he had to deal with situations realistically, even when one hoped for the best outcome. All possibilities had to be considered, and more often than not, war had very negative odds.

Loki considered his childhood in the silence that Odin's words had caused. _He was usually fair. Father's own skills are a mix of intelligence and brute strength, which made it easier for him to appreciate Thor's skill in combat and my aptitude for knowledge. He encouraged us in our victories and forced us to learn from our failures. Although at the time it seemed as though he was being unnecessarily harsh in his judgments, now I am grateful for his need for perfection and how he pushed both Thor and I out of our comfort levels. There was always a constant need to please him that drove me to learn more and experiment on my own once I was capable. _

The silence continued to hang over them until Thor spoke, his strong voice uncharacteristically soft, "Mother, there is no need to fear. Loki will be by my side and we will look out for each other. And when my brother is not there, Mjolnir and my friends will watch out for me in his stead."

Loki knew that Thor was also speaking to him and he offered a small but rather insincere smile, already dreading the time when he would have to rotate off the planet and leave his brother there.

Frigga seemed to feel the same way, although her smile was much warmer than Loki's own.

"Then I know you shall both be safe for you watch out for each other better than you do for yourselves," she said.

Loki was grateful that she knew better than to make them promise to be safe and to come back unharmed. It would only make it harder for all of them, knowing that there was no way to ensure the promise was kept.

The tension eased a little around the table and they slowly finished their meal as Frigga tried to lighten the mood with stories of their childhood misadventures.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The snow crunched under their boots as the sound of feet marching in unison filled the air.

Loki and his team stood to the side with the other team as the two regiments filed by and made their way to the site.

They had just landed on Jotunheim and for many of them it was their first time being off of Asgard. They stood and surveyed the area in some awe and shock. The cold had been a jolt to everyone upon their landing, and Loki did his best to not seem comfortable in the freezing temperature.

He was secretly glad that he was mostly immune to the cold; the others looked miserable already.

The rotation was set and although he didn't like it, they would switch out for two new teams in roughly two and a half days. The larger rotations were set for five days barring anything major happening in the meantime, and the schedule was already set. He would like to stick to it as much as possible to avoid confusion, but he wasn't happy to be leaving so soon.

He instructed the other team to stay together and get to know the lay of the area, but to remain close to the Bifrost. It would be their job to summon more teams in the event of a battle breaking out.

Loki hoped to be able to talk to them and have a say in how many teams joined them, but he knew realistically that it would most likely not be possible, and urged them to lean on the cautious side and ask for more teams rather than less.

In training they had established what a proper number of teams would look like for several battle scenarios, and gone over the rotation dozens of times, so that each time a team was on planet they would know their mission and understood when to return home and when to stay.

He was grateful beyond words that all of the protectors had been trained for battle situations and knew what to expect from different fights and could anticipate what a battle would look like based on the relative number of fighters involved.

Loki felt better leaving them to decide how many teams to bring knowing that they could judge a battle and react accordingly.

He and Serrure led Atli and Fafnir to a small site where they would pitch a tent. They made quick work of setting up and each divided up their packs into smaller sections, leaving the non-essential items in the tent, and keeping those that they would- or could- need with them in their packs.

It would be awkward fighting with a bag on his back and he had originally not anticipated it until Serrure had mentioned it during one of their training sessions. He had not trained everyone as a group since it seemed that everyone was used to carrying some sort of bag while they fought.

It was standard for the soldiers to have at least a small kit attached to their belt, and the healers frequently worked with bags over their shoulders even when in the palace.

Loki had had a bag during several of their adventures but he trained after that with his bag ready as he had it currently.

They meandered through the site, making sure to note where the mess hall was, where the latrines were, and the tents that would be used to temporarily house the wounded and dead until they could be sent home.

Hogun found Loki several hours later and brought him to a strategy meeting.

One of the commanders stood, "Scouts have reported movement along the western border and we suspect that an attack is imminent. They are likely waiting for cover of darkness, when it will be harder to spot them and we will be slower due to the cold."

He turned to Thor who nodded and said, "Make sure to keep the torches lit and manned at all times. Increase the scouts at each perimeter and ensure that no one is ever left alone; there is to be a minimum of three men at each post. The men are fresh and ready, and each commander knows his orders. It is unlikely that they will directly attack the camp, knowing how strong we are.

"If they do attack soon it will probably be a small force, coming in from several directions to feel us out and look for weaknesses. They have the advantage in territory, they will wait for us to move and expand our control over the land before they attack in strength.

"Eventually we will have to lure them out into that attack, but for now make sure the men are ready and ensure that everyone knows to not advance past our established lines. Two more regiments are due to arrive in two days and then we shall begin to move forward."

The commanders nodded and the meeting was dismissed. Loki was impressed with his brother and offered a wide smile before leaving the tent to head back to his own.

Serrure and the others had turned in early and Loki followed their example.

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There had not been any attack during the night, but there were increased reports of movement from the scouts. Everyone was on edge the entire day, waiting for the inevitable and the delay was nerve-wracking.

Loki longed to distract himself by trying out his ice magic again; the terrain called to him and he was surprised at the pull that it had, but in an area surrounded by Asgardian soldiers he hardly dared to entertain the thought of lifting a finger with the intent of moving ice.

They had walked with Atli and Fafnir to the healing tent where they all familiarized themselves with the supplies and their location. It was unlikely that the tents would have a prolonged use, but it was better to be prepared.

The commanders had several more meetings, some of which Loki did not attend, and everyone was twitchy and anxious when they went to sleep.

It turned out that Thor had been right.

The attack came in the night, close enough to dawn that even those who were awake on sentry duty were drowsy and slow.

The horns sounded from several directions, signaling the incoming attacks and Loki was jolted awake at the noise.

His team was similarly startled and it took them all a moment before they remembered their purpose and scrabbled for their warmer battle clothes and packs before rushing out of the tent.

Loki looked around frantically, trying to see where the fighting was heaviest and calling up a mental image of the layout of the camp.

The new teams would come in from the back, where the Bifrost was, and they were instructed to spread out and go where they were needed.

He led his team to one of the battles that was rather far from the Bifrost site, flashing the hand sign to _be careful, proceed with caution_ as they moved passed the tents and tried to stay relatively out of the way of the soldiers lining up.

Eventually they worked their way around the lines and Loki saw that Thor had been correct again; it was a small force of Frost Giants.

Well, small relative to the number of Asgardian soldiers that were on hand to oppose them.

It was obvious, however, that they had pressed the advantages that the attack had given them, and there were several wounded among the front line.

Loki spied several men that had to be scouts from the perimeter lying wounded and dead behind the Frost Giants' formation.

He left Serrure and Fafnir with a hand sign to _stay put_ and motioned for them to start with the nearby wounded.

He and Atli made their way behind the Asgardians again and edged their way back to the front of the line on the other side of the battle, aiming at the empty space behind the Frost Giants' lines towards the scouts.

Although he had ordered the teams to stay behind their own defensive lines, the small attacking force allowed him the freedom to move out from their position.

Atli immediately scoured the area for the critically wounded, and Loki kept an eye out for his teammate as he walked over to some of the scouts further away.

He tapped their shoulders and roused them awake through the pain, getting those who were able up and moving together, while motioning to Atli to make his way over to those too wounded to move.

Loki did not send anyone back to the Asgardian lines, wary of letting them off on their own and crossing paths with a wayward Frost Giant. He kept scanning the area for any hostile movement, knowing from their last 'adventure' to the planet how easily the Frost Giants blended in with the environment.

A deep rumbling from the nearby battle had his head turning sharply as he recognized the sound of ice breaking and he turned back to his teammate.

"We have to move back," he dragged one of the scouts who was nearby and handed him to one of the men who was lightly wounded with the instruction to "Keep him awake, he has a head wound" and turned back to Atli.

"They're disturbing the ground and even though we're behind them I'd rather not stay here in case there is any backlash."

Atli nodded, but looked back down to the man he was working on, "I'll need a moment more."

Loki looked back out towards the battle, seeing that the Frost Giants were only a few and the way back to the Asgardian line was clear.

He turned to the scouts that were standing, "Go back in a group and make your way to the medical tent. Stay together and look out for each other."

They nodded and moved together, supporting several comrades between them.

Loki glanced back at Atli and saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

They had not managed to clear all of the scouts and wounded yet, and there were several men lying out of reach. He saw a Frost Giant retreating from the battle, weapon in hand.

In hindsight, it was more likely that the Jotun was retreating to relay the information he had gleaned from the battle and anything about the Asgardian forces rather than leaving the battle to kill the wounded scouts, but at the moment Loki wasn't analyzing the Frost Giant's motives.

After one more glance to ensure there was no threat to Atli he sprang into motion, running to intercept the Frost Giant and keep him from reaching the wounded.

Loki didn't register the fact that in his haste to retreat, the giant had already run past several wounded. He was not examining the direction that the Frost Giant was running, or where his gaze was aimed when he pulled out a dagger and threw it.

He saw it hit its target although he continued to run even as it fell to the ground. He slowed only when it was clear that it wasn't dead, and then he moved forward with caution, his sword pulled to give him an extra moment to react and another arm length to reach.

It wasn't dead, but it was in no shape to fight back, and Loki struck the deathblow quickly, not even bothering to look as the body fell fully to the ground.

His gaze snapped back to Atli and moved only after he had assured himself that there was still no danger, and then he noticed that the battle was over and that several soldiers had moved forward to help the wounded back to camp.

Others had started to carry the dead back as well, and Loki moved back towards Atli.

At his nod, they supported the soldier between them and they walked together back to the tent.

It was much more organized than he had anticipated, and it was clear by the number of soldiers sporting only minor and non-life-threatening wounds that the other teams had been summoned and done their duty.

A line was soon established to get all the wounded back to Asgard, and Loki met up with Serrure and Fafnir in the tent, helping to patch up some of those who were still bleeding with bandages before they could leave for the Bifrost.

He was immensely pleased with the reports he got later that night from each team as he dissected the information in the meeting tent.

Before they left each team member had delivered an oral report and then the remaining team and his own team had added their observations.

Thor had entered when he was halfway through the notes he had jotted down during each debrief and he stayed silent until Loki was done reading.

"Well?"

Loki smiled, "They did well. And it was as you predicted. Several small groups of Frost Giants testing our strength and perimeter."

Thor nodded, "Several Frost Giants were able to retreat, so it is likely that they have at least a decent idea of what they are up against by now, although that will change once the other regiments arrive in the afternoon."

"You'll start to push forward to draw them out," Loki commented.

"Yes. It will be tricky to move in groups small enough to encourage an attack while keeping the larger part of the army back, but we are well versed in diversionary tactics, and they will not engage us when it is clear that we outnumber them," Thor replied.

Loki sighed, "It would be so much easier if the war were not on Jotunheim. They can draw this out to their advantage and hide their forces from us. Even if you were to all of the army as Father did in the last war, we could not promise a victory. There are too many variables."

Thor shrugged, "It is a different war. It must be fought differently. We will take our victories where we can get them, and do our best to ensure another."

Loki nodded at his wisdom and went to make sure that his teammates were resting.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rest of their time on Jotunheim went quietly. Loki suspected that the Frost Giants were planning and regrouping, and there was no significant movement from the advance groups to allow Loki to override the rotation and keep his team on planet.

So with a sense of foreboding, the two teams waited for their replacements. As soon as they landed Loki briefed them both of the events that had occurred and what was likely to occur, giving them strict instructions to keep one team close to the Bifrost to summon the other teams immediately.

Time would be of the essence now that the men were moving further from the main camp.

With one last look back, Loki sent up a silent prayer as the Bifrost took them home.

His time back in the palace was slow and stressful. He could not focus long enough to read, and being on-call meant that he couldn't train hard enough to drag his mind away from his worry.

There was little anyone could do to distract him, although both Serrure and his mother tried their best.

In the end it was Odin that occupied his time. His father recognized his son's restlessness and put Loki to good use in planning for the future deployment of the remaining regiments.

The All-Father's sharp mind kept Loki's focus, challenging his every decision and forcing his attention to the smallest detail of every plan.

A call came four days later that a battle was underway. Four additional teams, including Loki's, had been summoned, and their gear was ready at the end of the bridge for them to grab on their way to the Bifrost.

They all hummed with nervous energy, knowing that this would be big and chaotic. They landed on Jotunheim as a group and Loki immediately asked a nearby soldier for the direction that the group had advanced in.

An escort of several soldiers accompanied them and as they moved further from the camp and closer to the site the sounds of battle reached his ears. Already Loki could see dozens of injured and dead.

"Move out. Stay with your team," he instructed, looking at each team leader carefully. He glanced meaningfully at one of the younger hotheads, a reminder that they were there to protect the healers. Rushing off to fight would help no one.

Loki and his team split to where the fighting was heavy, knowing that they could handle it. He did not waste his energy cloaking them yet as they were still well protected and behind Asgardian lines, but he and Serrure kept their eyes open regardless.

Many of the wounded were well enough to get to the Bifrost in pairs to ensure their wellbeing, and the dead were laid aside to be returned home when the fighting had simmered down. They ventured closer to the front line, although always off to the side and away from the immediate fighting.

These were the wounded who could not get up and retreat to the back of the line and the healers wasted no time in rushing forward. They remained close together even when working on separate patients, and healed just enough to ensure their survival and ability to move on their own.

They could not waste precious energy healing bruises when men were dying. Loki saw the newly-healed ones off and pointed them towards the Bifrost as Serrure watched the healers.

They continued in this fashion until Loki noticed a duel on the outskirts of the front line, closer to their position. It was clear that the Asgardian soldier was wounded but continued to bravely fend off the Frost Giant's attacks. Loki's breath caught as he noticed the identity of the Frost Giant.

It was Laufey.

He did not have the presence of mind to yell back to his team as he ran forward, but Serrure seemed to understand his goal, because he dragged the healers with him and followed behind Loki, ready to grab the injured fighter as Loki intercepted the Frost Giant.

He could see Laufey raise a hand as an ice dagger formed and Loki quickly threw one of his own knives, shattering the ice weapon and diverting the giant's attention.

It was clear from the surprise on his face that Laufey had not expected any interference, but he did not immediately retaliate either.

He could feel the king's gaze raking over his features and he saw a small smile flit over Laufey's features before his deep voice rumbled out two syllables.

"Loki."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ahhh! There you go. Enjoy the evil ending.

I'm not sure how I feel about Odin. He was an absolute moron in the movie when it came to dealing with Loki but there was a very deep connection between them that I tried to honor. I don't think that Odin would take a child, raise it as his own, and then consciously choose to favor Thor over Loki. He could recognize their strengths and understood their fundamental differences. I feel like he's just terrible with emotionally stuff.

Also, I have no idea how they're communicating on the battlefield at at home when teams are summoned. They are reacting to news instantaneously but not everyone can fly so I have no clue how the messages are being passed so quickly. No one comment on this plot hole. I don't have an answer.

Always

Sinkme


	7. Chapter 7

One more to go after this!

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_He could feel the king's gaze raking over his features and he saw a small smile flit over Laufey's features before his deep voice rumbled out two syllables. _

_"Loki."_

He froze, shocked that Laufey had identified him, but there was something deeper in the recognition that Loki did not like at all. He glanced to his right, seeing that the distraction had not given Serrure and the healers enough time to reach the soldier, who was fading fast but still too close to Laufey.

Taking a chance Loki took several steps to his left, anticipating that Laufey would be more interested in talking to him than going after the now semi-protected Asgardian.

Laufey's smirk told him that he knew the game he was playing, but for the moment Loki didn't care, so long as the king played along. The giant mirrored Loki's steps, putting more distance between himself and the soldier, enough so that the healers could get to him.

Serrure stood guard and looked at Loki nervously, who could only signal a retreat with the hand sign.

He knew Serrure wouldn't like it, but the healers had reached their limits and he did not want his friend stepping into this fight.

He saw the four of them make their way back and breathed a sigh of relief even though he was now somewhat alone with the king of the Frost Giants.

When Laufey spoke it was not at all what Loki expected, "He took you from me."

As his mind tried to catch up, the king continued, "Surely you know the truth? You know who you are?"

Loki nodded, interested in hearing what Laufey had to say, trying to understand what the king hoped to accomplish. He matched the giant step for step as they slowly walked further away from the battle and the relative safety that the Asgardian camp would provide.

"He turned you into one of _them._ Fed you lies and made you grow up hating your own race."

Loki retaliated, understanding Laufey's strategy, "He _saved_ me. Gave me a life where I was loved and taught me how to be a good man." He added a taunt, wanting to unsettle the king.

He could see Laufey's frustration, although it was very well hidden, and the giant abruptly switched tactics, "You'll never fit in with them. You were a fool to think you ever could. It's in your blood, and that's not something you'll grow out of. It's not something you can change."

Loki hesitated, feeling the old wounds, barely healed, threaten to open once more and he viciously shut it down. _I cannot walk down that road again. _He decided not to retaliate, instead he aimed to gain some insight, "'I won't fit in?' That's the best you can do? It's laughable, actually. I am a prince. A son of Odin. How could I possibly be an outcast?"

He was deliberately blithe and mocking in an effort to unsettle the giant and make him reveal something. So far he had been matched barb for barb and Loki was grudgingly enjoying their verbal sparring match.

Laufey answered slowly but it was clear that his words were spoken in anger, "You have been an outcast all your life. Raised in your brother's shadow, always overlooked. You are a different race; you cannot ever hope to match the Asgardians in appearance or feats of strength. It has always been clear to you that you did not belong."

Loki had no answer, still ruthlessly trying to suppress the emotions he was still dealing with in the wake of his revealed identity. It was not nearly as strong as it had been in the immediate moments after Odin had confirmed his suspicions, but deep down there would always be a hint of that anger.

He let his silence linger, hoping that Laufey would pursue the point and give up some information in his rush to poke a metaphorical hole in his emotional armor.

The giant continued as he had hoped, thinking he had struck a weak point, "You would be a real prince here. My son and heir. No one would sneer at you and wonder how you could possibly be a son of Odin. I would be proud to have my son at my side."

Loki recognized that he needed more time to regain his emotional equilibrium and deal with this, but first he had to get back to Asgard.

He almost laughed when he heard the Frost Giant and his mirth showed clearly on his face and in his voice, "If that is true then why did you toss me aside when I was an infant? Don't lie Laufey, it is unbecoming of a king. You don't want me. You _never_ wanted me. Let's not paint this any other way; it's convenient now that I've survived and it would be in your best interest to have me on your side."

He smirked, deciding that the truth would hurt worse than anything, "Odin is ten times the father that you could have been, and I thank my luck that he picked me up that day."

Loki saw the rage and acted, drawing his sword, _Thank you Thor!_, and blocking the strike from Laufey's ice weapon. He let out an 'oof' of surprise when a block of ice rushed out of the ground to meet him.

It impacted his chest and tossed him back several feet. He stood quickly, sword at the ready, and he had a moment to think, _Definitely not my best idea, _before he blocked another attack, and retaliated with his own assault, the moves coming fluidly and he smirked as he saw an opening and threw a hand out, a spell falling from his lips and shoving the Frost Giant back.

Laufey's counterattack came swiftly, a combination attack that started with a swipe at the ground, shooting ice and snow up at him and charging at his blind spot as he blocked the ice shower with a spell.

He brought his sword up, catching the weapon that protruded from the giant's arm and their weapons locked together.

He knew that now was not the time for a fight; he was alone and too far from the army. He knew Laufey could overpower him and as tempted as he was to try to get enough time to use one of the lethal spells he knew, his own inner turmoil told him that it was unwise.

His focus was shattered and he needed time to confront his emotions once more and center himself before he would dare to attempt such a complex spell. _I need to return to the Bifrost site. I need to get home._

His mind made up he decided that he wanted to see how Laufey would react and whether his actions would mimic the intent behind his earlier words, or whether they were empty promises.

Loki threw his weight forward and added a burst of magic-induced strength into their locked swords, pushing the king back and he pulled the same trick he had done in the fight that had started this damned war, and made an illusion of himself even as he was cloaked from sight.

Quickly running to put some distance between the giant and himself, he turned in time to see Laufey's weapon glide across the illusion's throat. It flickered and vanished at his command and Laufey's shout of fury followed Loki back as he retreated to the Bifrost site. He uncloaked himself once he was securely behind friendly lines, and took a moment to tidy up.

His clothes were a little mussed and he shook them straight, taking care to smooth down his hair and took a deep breath experimentally, hiding a wince as his chest twinged.

Loki ignored it, however, _certainly not something to bother the healers about_. He helped two of the wounded that he saw coming from another team and they hobbled their way to the site with him.

He felt the familiar tingle as Heimdall opened the Bifrost and was immediately confronted with an irate Serrure.

"What in the name of the All-Father did you think you were doing?" Serrure stood in front of him, hands on hips and wearing a stern expression. It actually made him look funny, not angry, and Loki did his best to keep his amusement out of his voice, although his eyes danced with it.

"Unless you wanted to see that soldier killed in front of us, I did what I had to do," he said, walking past his friend and towards the Bridge, making sure that the two that he had helped to the Bifrost were being looked after.

Serrure followed behind, his voice taking on a slightly whiny edge, "But _Laufey!_ Not just any Frost Giant. You had to go up against their _king_! You never do things halfway, do you?"

They mounted their horses and Loki called back before his horse started galloping off, "Not if I can help it."

He heard Serrure and his horse behind him and the two made their way to the palace and down to the healers. He put aside his confrontation with Laufey to deal with it when he had time and a quiet place to think.

For now they had to make sure all the teams were accounted for. Serrure had become his unofficial second in command, and they split off to collect everyone in their division and take note of the healers that were there.

He dragged a couple of men away from where they were perched over injured friends, reminding them that as soon as they were debriefed they could return. Slowly everyone made their way to the headquarters, as it had come to be known, and took their seats.

It was a routine meeting, nothing significant to report from the teams, although it was important data to collect and condense and Loki made a note of the number of injured and the locations that each team covered on the field. As soon as their reports were in, with assurances that none of them were injured, he let everyone leave after calling after them the time of the next meeting.

He remained behind, accumulating all of the reports and double-checking everything before shortening it into one succinct report. He made a copy of this and set it aside to give to his father later. Loki continued to look over the reports, losing himself in the facts and reviews of the day and previous days and looking for some kind of pattern or system.

He was not surprised to find that he had been in the room for almost two hours when he took a break, although it was less of a break than an intrusion, as he looked up as Sif entered the room.

"May I have a minute?" she asked.

"By all means," he gestured to a chair nearby as he straightened up some papers and set them aside, giving her his full attention.

"Its about Thor," she began.

He instantly sat up straighter, "Is something wrong?"

She gave him a small smile, "Yes, but nothing immediately threatening. Relax."

He gave his own smile, chagrined at being read so easily, and motioned for her to continue.

"He's been different lately, a good different if I'm to be honest, but recently it has been affecting him."

"How so?" Loki, too, had noticed the changes in his brother, and agreed with Sif. The differences in his manner and behavior were for the better compared to his previously arrogant and childish demeanor. It was unfortunate that it had to come to war to force these changes.

"We think that he is putting too much pressure on himself. He doesn't like seeing his men hurt and he can't distance himself enough from his emotions, so he's started advancing the line on his own without waiting for anyone. Most of the time we can't follow him. He just goes on his own and we know he can handle himself but he can't keep going off like that," Sif said quietly.

Loki looked at her understandingly, "I will talk to him. I assume that you and the Warriors Three already tried to knock some sense into him?"

She snorted, "For all the good it did."

"Very well. I will make sure he listens this time, then," he nodded to her.

She gave him a smile and stood but before she reached the door he called out to her.

Sif turned and he knew she could read the hesitation on his face but he had to say it before he lost his determination.

"I do not think I ever sincerely apologized for the mean spirited prank that resulted in your- um…" _damn._ He gestured towards her hair and saw her smile again.

_It's so rare that Loki is ever at a loss for words._ She could see that he genuinely meant it this time; unlike the apology he gave her immediately after the incident.

"I do believe that given enough time after all of this unfortunate business I could restore your hair to its original form," he continued, not missing her quiet gasp of surprise.

"Loki," she said softly. She seemed unable to continue but found her voice a moment later and continued in a much stronger fashion. "You know, it's kind of grown on me now. And I can't very well leave you all alone so I think I'll keep it." Sif turned to leave again but tossed a parting comment over her shoulder to liven up the suddenly serious mood that seemed to seize Loki.

"Besides, the men think it's _exotic_. Can't let you have all the fun."

She left after that and Loki sat again, pondering this new development. _I was sure that she would have wanted me to fix her hair. She was very upset after it became clear that the color would remain different. Why would she decide to keep it now? And what was that odd comment about leaving me alone?_

Deciding for once that this day had given him too many things to think about, he decided to return to his room to ponder everything that had occurred. Casting one last look around the room he ensured that everything that needed to be done was complete, and then he retired to his room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thor wandered through the halls before ultimately finding himself in front of the healing room. He spent a lot of time there when he was home now. Either that or he was in the training rooms.

It was an odd feeling, to be greeted wherever he went. Sure he was used to people knowing who he was, after all, he was a prince.

But this recognition went deeper, and was based on something he had started to earn from his men; respect. It was hard to describe, but Thor had learned in one day what his father had tried to teach him all his life.

Only a fool sought out war.

He shoved these thoughts to the back of his mind as he entered the healing rooms. It was a slow process for many of the wounded since the healers could not spare the energy to completely fix anyone.

He visited with them, gave them news and updates and went to great pains to learn all of their names so that he could properly greet them the next time he returned.

Many of them asked after friends or relatives and he tried to answer their questions as best as he could. He joined a group of men huddled around a comrade in the middle of a story.

"…ran right over and threw one of his knives. Took the brute by surprise and saved my life. He drew the Frost Giant away so the healers could grab me and I heard his friend before I passed out- it wasn't just any Frost Giant. It was _Laufey_!" the soldier was saying.

The others were impressed as well and asked for more details.

"I didn't see anything after that, but I heard from the healers who brought me back that Loki didn't return to Asgard for almost thirty minutes. And when he-"

"Did you say Loki?" Thor asked, his mind finally processing that detail.

All heads turned to him and some tried to give a salute but he waved them off good-naturedly, "None of that boys, not here."

They relaxed with a smile and he turned to the storyteller, "You were talking about my brother?"

He nodded, "Yes, Commander. He saved my life this morning. As soon as I am able to leave I mean to find him and thank him in person."

"No need, I will tell him to visit you. Please excuse me, it seems I must go hear this story from my brother," as he left he heard the man finish his story.

"When he finally came back through the Bifrost they said he was relaxed as anything. Helped two more men get back and he didn't have a single scratch on him."

Thor smirked as he heard the end of the tale, and left the room quickly to seek out Loki.

He did not find him in the strategy room as he had anticipated, and turned in the opposite direction to go to his brother's rooms.

He entered after a quick knock and was surprised to see his brother perched at the edge of his bed with no book in sight.

"What's this I hear about you taking on Laufey singlehandedly?" he asked, walking into the room slowly and letting the door shut behind him.

"What's this I hear about you going ahead of your men with no backup and fighting on your own?" Loki returned.

The two stared at each other for a little while but Loki was not bothered by the silence, he knew Thor would break first.

Sure enough, Thor let out a frustrated breath, "Fine! But we will come back to this business of you fighting Laufey."

Loki acquiesced with a nod and motioned for Thor to continue. His brother was pacing as he usually did when he was agitated but Loki was not put off, _Thor will get to it when he's ready._

"It's all my fault," he finally said quietly. Loki was surprised that that was what was bothering his brother. Thor usually felt some guilt over their pranks and mischief, but he bounced back quickly.

"My arrogance brought this war to them and now all I can see is them dying. Father has always said the Mjolnir has no equal, so why should I stay back when I can destroy so many more Frost Giants on my own? I can spare my men and keep them safer" Thor said passionately.

_Ah_. Loki understood now. _How best to approach this? Hm. I know._

"So let's go," Loki said, standing.

"What?" Thor looked confused and Loki almost smiled.

"Between your power and Mjolnir and my magic we should be able to put a sizeable dent in the Frost Giant's army, so let's go," he elaborated.

"Loki, that's madness," Thor said, holding up a hand to stop his brother.

"Why? You've said it yourself. Why let them suffer when we can take steps to diminish their pain? If we leave now we can probably make it back by first light," Loki pushed. He saw some hesitance on Thor's face and inwardly smiled. "If you won't come with me then I shall make the journey on my own."

"This isn't like you, brother. This is stupid. You can't go off to Jotunheim on your own. What if something were to happen? You would not have anyone to watch your back. You could be captured, or killed, or-"

"Exactly," Loki said, face to face with his brother. He let his comment sink in and saw the beginning of understanding in Thor's eyes. He needed to drive the message in, however, so he continued.

"You must understand, brother. You are more than a commander. You are a prince, and heir to the throne. You are a symbol to both your men and to the Frost Giants. They would not hesitate to fight dirty in order to bring you down and when you put yourself in situations where you are alone and greatly outnumbered you make everyone here nervous," he held up a hand to stall Thor's retort.

"We know you are more than capable of looking out for yourself, but commanders must make sacrifices, and no one can afford the distraction that your lieutenants suffer when they see you fly off ahead to fight alone. You must be there to command your men," Loki offered a wry smile.

"That being said, I understand your reluctance in remaining behind, but you must know that you can still fight. Father fought in the last war, and it would take more men than we could spare to hold you back. Just fight smarter, brother, that's all we're asking."

Thor gave him a grudging smile, "Sif spoke to you, didn't she?"

"She did," Loki nodded, and something fell into place in the back of his mind. That odd comment that Sif had made- "And you spoke our friends, didn't you? Before we spoke to father, before the start of the war, you were gone longer than you should have been before we went to him."

Thor nodded as well, "I did not think it would escape your notice this long, but yes, I spoke to them. I could not leave their questions unanswered and they needed to know enough to leave you in peace."

Loki was touched that his brother had anticipated his needs and thanked him. Thor waved it off before pointing a finger at him, "Now it's your turn. What happened with Laufey?"

He decided to start with an earlier truth, "First I must explain further about who I am. Father revealed it to me and it is an important fact in my encounter with Laufey, and if I am interpreting his actions correctly, with the origins of the war as well."

Thor perked in curiosity but did not rush Loki, instead he waited until his brother began again.

"What do you know of the circumstances surrounding my removal from Jotunheim as an infant?"

Thor answered slowly, thinking back to what Frigga had said to him, "Mother told me that father took you from the wreckage after the war had finished. You were alone and would have died if he had not taken you. You were brought to the palace and raised as my brother."

Loki nodded, "When father followed me to the Casket he revealed that he knew more about my birth than I had thought given the information provided up to that point. He said that I am Laufey's son."

"No" Thor's quiet protest was not unexpected.

Loki continued, "I was unaware of the fact that Laufey knew who I was. When I confronted him to save the soldier, he recognized me immediately. Earlier, before you came in, I was thinking over our conversation, and I realized that he had seen me on our last trip to Jotunheim and once I used that ice attack against him, he must have discerned what father had done."

Loki chose his words carefully, wary of inciting Thor's wrath any more than it already had been, but the need to relieve his brother of some of the guilt pressed heavily on him.

"He was angry at first, said that father had stolen me from him, but it was clear later that he did not actually care about me. It is more about getting revenge on father. My being his son is just an excuse that he is using the fuel the war. The blame cannot be laid solely at your feet," Loki glanced carefully at Thor to see how he was taking the news.

"How did you get away?" Thor asked the one question that Loki wished not to answer. He knew Thor could overreact if he didn't play this carefully but he couldn't bring himself to lie to his brother in this matter. His silence prompted Thor to speak again.

"I heard from the soldier whom you saved. He said that you did not return for thirty minutes. Please tell me that you did not fight him for the entire time," Thor wheeled about and caught his brother's eye.

Loki sighed and answered, "We spoke for most of the time. I may have provoked his anger towards the end but it was only one attack. I used an illusion to get away a moment later and then I headed for the Bifrost."

"And what did Laufey do to the illusion?" Thor asked in an ill-timed moment of insight.

Another moment of silence and Loki debated again whether or not to lie to his brother. _On the one hand Thor will be furious if he ever found out the truth. On the other, he could go after Laufey on his own and ensure that I remained in the palace and did not leave until Laufey was dead. _

"To my knowledge, nothing. I cancelled it when I was far enough away," Loki lied fluidly, his face betraying nothing.

He felt Thor watching him closely but he knew Thor would not be able to read the lie.

His brother seemed satisfied with the answer and answered, "Good. Just be sure to keep your distance in the future. Oh, and make sure you go visit that soldier in the healing room. I found him earlier telling everyone who would listen about your heroic actions and he said he would look for you when he could leave. Do him a favor and don't make him come find you, he needs the rest."

Loki was surprised at Thor's statement, he certainly had not expected his actions to be recounted throughout the army, although he could not help the small warm feeling in his stomach, nor could he stop the small smile that found its way out.

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Thanks for sticking with the story!

Always

Sinkme


	8. Chapter 8

Last chapter! Thank you to everyone especially who reviewed or added the story to alerts or favorites!

Keep an eye out after _The Avengers_ comes out. With any luck there will be some juicy plot involving Loki that I can hijack for my own selfish devices.

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_Loki was surprised at Thor's statement, he certainly had not expected his actions to be recounted throughout the army, although he could not help the small warm feeling in his stomach, nor could he stop the small smile that found its way out. _

The war dragged on. It had been three standard weeks since they had landed on Jotunheim and it did not appear to be letting up in the slightest.

Loki secretly wondered what Laufey hoped to accomplish. There had been no activity even remotely close to the wormhole as far as he could tell, and Heimdall had not mentioned anything either.

Although there had been far fewer engagements over the last week, something was stirring in the Frost Giant's camp. He craved to know what was happening, and briefly entertained the idea of using the passage himself and sneaking through their tents to try to learn what was happening.

It did not take more than a second for him to discard that idea. Thor seemed to have conscripted the entire palace to keep an eye on him when he was home, and Serrure stuck to him like glue when they were on Jotunheim.

He had hoped that time would assure his brother of his safety, but even three weeks after his encounter with Laufey, Thor worried.

Loki had gone over his encounter with the Frost Giant king dozens of times and in the end he could regret the opportunity he had lost to integrate himself with Laufey, but a larger part of him was happy with how he reacted.

He doubted whether he could have controlled himself long enough to play the part of a traitorous and jealous son to actually get information worth the price. Laufey would have been wary of his sudden switch and Loki knew himself well enough to acknowledge the delicate state of mind that he had existed in for the last several weeks.

Still, it was a thought to keep in the back of his mind. Information was never a bad thing, and he could easily shield himself from sight and slip past his watchers.

It would be trickier to navigate through the enemy's camp, and harder to avoid the very obvious problem that the snow and ice would present.

It was possible to hide himself from sight, but he couldn't change the fact that his body still took up space and the snow in the air would act accordingly, whether or not he could be seen. An observant look-out could spot him, and he had not perfected the spells necessary to hide the footprints he would leave behind.

For the time being he decided to wait on a secret trip to Jotunheim. As it was he was on the planet a couple of days every week. They had a firm grip on the realm and the casualties were much lower than what they had anticipated.

For the moment, at least, he could afford to wait to play this rather desperate card in an effort to end the war.

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Another two weeks had gone by and they were making definite progress. Loki's teams had had a couple of scares, one involving his own team, luckily they had escaped mostly unscathed.

It had been a routine fight, not very large, although they had been attacked at an outpost that was not as heavily manned as some of the surrounding ones.

Loki and his team had been on the planet and responded immediately, making the mistake of assuming that the Frost Giants that had instigated the battle would be alone.

Reinforcements had come, and luckily Serrure had seen them in time to warn everyone. They would have been caught right in the middle of the fight once the new wave of giants had crashed into the battle.

He and Serrure had had to fight off a couple of Jotuns while Atli and Fafnir had evacuated those few injured that they had been tending to.

They had been extremely fortunate. One of the teams had been caught in the middle. It was pure luck that the battle had shifted away from them, allowing all four of them to retreat and receive some on the spot healing. They managed to get back to the Bifrost and one of the other teams on site escorted them back to the healing wing.

It had made Loki half crazy with worry. He hovered over the team as they were healed and demanded every detail from them, needing to make sure that it didn't happen to any other team.

Serrure had finally taken him aside to the training room, letting him fight out his fear and helplessness. He was surprised at how cathartic the process was, and understood the appeal that it had for his brother, who was emotional about something almost every day.

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It was finally over. Word had come through only an hour ago that the Frost Giants had surrendered to the commander on planet, Tyr, and Thor and Loki were on their way there now to ensure the process went smoothly. Thor had grumbled about it being the "one day of the week that he hadn't been there, and _now _they choose to surrender."

It was eerily quiet, and the brothers were on alert for anything that was out of place. The surrender had come unexpectedly, and Loki was suspicious of the sudden change.

Despite how uneven the war had been, there had been no indication that the Frost Giants would give up. There had been a rather large conflict just two days ago in fact.

Thor reached the commander first and Loki listened to his report.

"He approached me and said that he had authority to surrender to us. There is no sign of Laufey and as of this moment they have honored the cease-fire," Tyr said.

Loki turned to Thor and offered his opinion, "Talk to the Frost Giant who surrendered. Find out their terms and arrangement for a more permanent truce. I will try to find out where Laufey is and what brought about this sudden peace."

Thor nodded his acceptance and said, "Be careful."

Loki slipped back through the lines and found a quiet place to weave his transformation. He could feel his skin changing and knew without checking that he looked like a Frost Giant, although he did not make up the difference in height. He could feel the difference in his appearance and knew instinctively that it was not the same as the other times he had assumed his 'natural' appearance.

He stole through the ranks of the Frost Giants with relative ease and approached a group in the back that was huddled together.

Drawing himself up he called to them, "Do you know me?"

They turned to look at him carefully before one said, "You are not one of us."

Loki pretended to be angry, "Of course I am. I have talents that you could not dream of. My disguise must be able to fool Odin and his stupid son. Do you think Laufey would trust any idiot to be his inside man?"

Seeing some of their suspicious looks lessen he continued forcefully, establishing control and forcing them to respond, "This was not the plan. What is Laufey doing? I need to know how to best help him. This surrender is making a mockery of Jotunheim."

One of them stepped forward, "You want to help? Keep Odin's son here and occupied. Keep your gatekeeper's gaze on Jotunheim. Soon we shall restore the glory of our realm and Laufey leads us there even now. Those fools-" he gestured to the front, towards the Frost Giants who were setting up the peace. "Think they are in charge now that the king is gone. They want _peace _and took the first opportunity to end the war. Cowards."

Loki gave a smile to cover his growing panic, "Very well. I will do what I can."

He disappeared back into crowd and made his way as quickly as possible to the Asgardian lines, barely remembering to drop his disguise in his haste to make it to his brother's side.

"Thor," he called. He pulled his brother away from the Frost Giant with what he hoped was an apologetic smile. "We'll just be a moment."

"Something is very wrong," he said quickly, cutting off his brother's interruption. "I spoke to some of the Frost Giants and they were very concerned with keeping you here and Heimdall's gaze on Jotunheim. Laufey is up to something and they think it will change their fortunes. We must get back to the Bifrost."

Loki quickly went back to the commander, indicating with his head that he should go talk to Thor. He turned to the Frost Giant and said in a falsely cheerful voice, "Do excuse my brother and I for another moment. A message has come through and our dear mother is in need of our help. Since the cease-fire has been held up so far, we will leave you in Tyr's capable hands for the moment."

He shrugged as if to say 'what can you do' but the Frost Giant seemed unconcerned, "Very well. We will await your return." Loki felt more inclined to believe their sincerity for a moment.

If what he had heard from the other Frost Giants was right, the ones in front of him actually wanted peace. There was a chance, a small chance, but a chance nonetheless, to instill a new king and reach a permanent truce with Jotunheim if they did it right.

He could not afford to ruin that chance. But Laufey had to be taken down before they could establish any kind of peace.

Loki turned casually, calling to his brother, "Come, Thor. Mother mustn't be kept waiting."

Thor followed along, giving a wide smile, but Loki could see the serious look in his eyes as he clapped the commander on the shoulder. "Hold down the planet until we return. It should not be long."

"Of course, Commander," Tyr replied.

They did not rush to the Bifrost, although they longed to, and when they were close Thor called for Heimdall, "Open the Bifrost Heimdall!"

As soon as the ground beneath their feet stopped spinning Loki ran forward to Heimdall, "You must look for Laufey. Something is wrong, he is not on Jotunheim."

Seeing the serious expression on both of their faces, he quickly turned his searching gaze towards the stars, concentrating on finding the Frost Giant.

For several minutes the silence stretched on until Heimdall broke off and turned to them, "He is on Midgard with a small group. They managed to find one of the wormholes and landed only moments ago. They are making their way to the nearest civilization as we speak."

Thor looked at him in panic, "We must go now. Heimdall, tell father what has happened, and tell him to send Sif and the Warriors Three to Jotunheim to ensure the peace is kept. Loki and I can handle Laufey. Keep an eye on us though."

Heimdall nodded and quickly charged up the Bifrost. Loki looked to his brother and prepared for the journey to Earth.

The landing was sudden and jarring and he felt the difference in temperature almost immediately, although the heat was no more than a minor annoyance. He looked ahead and spotted the Frost Giants easily. They were stopped only a short distance away, looking at them. Laufey had a dozen Frost Giants with him.

Immediately alarm bells went off in his head. _Why would he only bring a dozen men with him. Had he brought more he could have inflicted much more severe damage and established some kind of control over the area much more quickly._

That thought struck him as odd and he took a moment to think it over again. He and Thor stood some 500 feet away from the group of Frost Giants, who had stopped to look at them.

A glance at Laufey's smug smile had Loki reeling. _We were set up. This was never about controlling Midgard. This was about drawing Thor and I away so that we were vulnerable. Was the peace offering false as well? _

In the distance he could see the small city untouched as of yet and steeled himself for what he was about to do.

Loki turned to his brother. "We need to get to the town. I will keep Laufey distracted, you need to get the people out. It is a small enough place, it should be easy. Then you can join me and we can take them down."

"I'm not leaving you alone!" Thor said angrily.

Loki turned to survey the Frost Giants, "Now is not the time, brother. You can fly; it is only logical that you be the one to go because you will have an easier time coming back for me. The faster you get everyone away, the faster you can help me. It's as simple as that."

Thor turned to him with a fierce expression and pointed a finger at the younger, "You _will_ be alive when I come back."

Loki smirked in a show of bravado, "Of course. Now go!"

Thor took to the sky once more and landed in the center of the town, where many of the humans had gathered. He began yelling and Loki turned his attention back to the horizon, breathing a sigh of relief that his brother was temporarily out of danger. He had to assess the situation and Thor would not give him enough time to figure everything out before he started bashing skulls.

The Frost Giants had started walking towards the town again, and Loki waked forward to meet them and add just a little bit more distance between them and the people behind him.

They stopped a few feet away from each other and Laufey stood in the middle, smiling down at him.

"Little Loki," he rumbled. "I had hoped that we would meet again."

The Frost Giants laughed but Loki seemed unaffected, "Yes, as did I. Our last meeting saw nothing resolved and I had hoped to clear up this matter soon." He turned to look at the other giants, and his voice turned mocking.

"Do they know the truth?" he asked blithely. One look at Laufey told him everything he needed to know, and the laughter had died from their faces, leaving them confused and curious. He was confident that Laufey would go after him first, but it couldn't hurt to make sure his attention was focused on him and not Thor.

He played it out a little longer, not yet ready to descend into violence, "You claimed to want me back at your side. You said I'd be welcomed as a prince, and yet none of them were informed? Tsk tsk. How confusing. I thought you wanted me to come home." He decided to twist the knife. "_Father_."

Laufey's sword sliced through his illusion and the giant roared in anger. Loki smiled and created a dozen more illusions, surrounding the Frost Giants, trying to draw the conflict out a little longer.

One of the illusions spoke as he moved into position, "They don't know about your _little_ heir?" He moved silently as their attention was focused on the illusion and stabbed one of the Frost Giants through the heart.

A different illusion picked up after Laufey had unsuccessfully vented his anger on the illusion closest to the dead giant, "The great Laufey, father to a son too small to be a giant." Another Frost Giant fell dead.

"How embarrassing." A third illusion spoke up.

"What a disgrace." The giants had wised up by now and had formed their own circle with their backs to the middle, facing outward to ward off another attack.

"No wonder you tried to hide me away so that no one knew."

"Enough!" Laufey yelled, and Loki was taken by surprise as the Frost Giant unleashed a wave of ice, shattering his illusions and tossing him backward painfully.

He landed on his back, the air knocked out of him, and hurriedly rolled to a kneeling crouch, trying to catch his breath from a position of strength rather than on the ground.

He narrowed his eyes, although the attack should have been expected, the ferocity shocked him. _Did I push too hard too quickly?_

"You won't escape again, _boy_. I'll make sure you're dead this time, and none of your little tricks will save you," Laufey was dead serious.

There was no chance that he could hold them all off if came down to it, and even if he only engaged a handful, the rest could simply walk past him and get to the town.

_I have to strike first. I have to keep them here and away from Thor. _

He had taken two out, but there were still ten plus Laufey, and his best chance was a quick attack with magic.

The words fell rapidly from his lips, his intent shaping the spell as his mind tried to pick his next move. Sensing the attack, Laufey and two others rushed forward while the other eight stood back, but Loki couldn't break his concentration.

He _pushed_ the magic through his hand once it was formed, targeting the four Frost Giants on the left flank and watched as they were obliterated, their ashes falling to the ground.

Despite the energy drain that the spell came with he quickly moved on to step two of his plan, jumping backwards in an attempt to give himself enough time to form the words for his next spell while avoiding Laufey's attack.

Just in time he finished the spell, sending a quick blessing at how much shorter the incantation was, and threw his other hand out, creating an invisible but strong barrier that the other four would not be able to get around.

He had just enough time to throw his head back and avoid Laufey's attack, although he felt the weapon continue on its arch and open a cut on his shoulder. The other two giants raced passed him, intent on reaching the town and Thor now that their back up had been incapacitated, and he could do nothing to stop them.

Another swing from Laufey's weapon forced his gaze forward and he grit his teeth knowing he had to give Laufey his full attention. Acknowledging his opponent, he drew his sword. Thor was more than capable of dealing with those two, provided he wasn't still focused on protecting the humans. _Damn_. He pushed the thought out of his mind and focused solely on his enemy.

Laufey's skill with his makeshift ice sword was very much superior to Loki's swordsmanship, and several times Loki was forced to dodge or create small magical shields with a word and a wave of his hand to stop an attack where he could not block it in time.

There was no respite in the attacks and even when he threw in the sparse hand-to-hand combat moves he knew, trying to take the giant by surprise, Laufey simply evaded them, intent on not letting him catch his breath or use an offensive spell.

Loki allowed himself a grim smile when one of his kicks connected solidly with Laufey's chest. It had been the same combination move that he had used against Sif all those weeks ago, but obviously the king was much taller than Sif and the kick was less effective when it wasn't connecting with an enemy's chin.

He followed up quickly, a slash opening up across the giant's chest. Loki wished he could have stabbed him but he would rather not get caught up with his sword in a position of weakness if Laufey recovered in time. The slash allowed for damage and he could fall back into a defensive stance while his opponent took a step back to recover.

He heard the familiar sound of a hammer hitting flesh and had to force himself not to look over his shoulder to see Thor taking down the two Frost Giants that had gotten past him.

An enormous amount of relief filled him when what seemed like seconds later he saw Thor rush passed him, deciding to deal with the four remaining Frost Giants before interfering with his brother's duel.

Thankfully Thor recognized that Loki had used a spell and did not run head first into the barrier.

Loki took a second to drop the barricade, but the moment of distraction cost him. A quick movement from Laufey had his sword flying through the air and Loki was unarmed.

Before he could jump back a large hand closed around his throat and he was slammed to the ground, the full weight and strength of the giant bearing down on him and crushing his throat.

He could not scream or draw breath but Laufey's words cut through his panic and centered him.

"You should have joined me when you had the opportunity. You lost your only chance to have a purpose, foolish boy," Laufey practically purred, his gloating obvious.

Loki's vision was tunneling and his hearing had narrowed to his own heartbeat thudding in his ears. His hands scrabbled at the grip on his throat. His back arched off the ground and his legs kicked at the dirt, trying to get some leverage but the hand only clenched his throat tighter.

He had only seconds to make a move and his distress drove his mind to panic before he remembered his throwing knives.

He forced himself to hold on and used one hand to grip Laufey's arm as hard as he could, trying to draw the king's attention away from the other hand that was pulling a knife out.

It was difficult and lacked his usual finesse, but under the circumstances Loki was immensely pleased with himself as he managed to stab the knife into Laufey's unprotected side.

The giant yelled, his grip automatically loosening, although his body curled up in itself, increasing the weight on top of Loki.

In a fit of desperation he forced his magic to coalesce and overwhelm him, bursting out painfully and throwing Laufey off of him and several feet back.

For several moments he could only screw his eyes shut and cough wretchedly, trying to draw much needed air into his lungs. His hand came up to massage his throat and he distantly heard footsteps approaching.

With all the strength he had at his command he forced himself up on one side to lean on his elbow and blinked open his eyes to meet his opponent.

Only to sag with relief when he saw Thor standing over the prone form of Laufey.

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Thor was too furious for words. Having seen Loki disarmed, he dealt with the four Frost Giants quicker than should have been possible; the lightning bolt that he summoned from the stormy sky had helped greatly.

As he turned he saw the Frost Giant looming over Loki, strangling the life out of his little brother, and had Loki not thrown the giant off of him at that moment, Thor would have flown into him and tackled him to the ground in his rage.

He felt a burst of uncontrolled pride in his brother as he noticed the knife still sticking out of Laufey's side.

Looking down at Laufey, Thor decided that he was not worth any last words that he might have once wanted to say to the Frost Giant.

Instead he raised Mjolnir above his head and brought it down with all his strength on the king's skull, caving it in horribly until it was almost unrecognizable.

Satisfied with his work, he ran to his brother's side, offering a hand and pulling him up easily.

Loki coughed again, one hand still on his throat, and hunched over to ensure he could stay balanced and upright before raising himself to look at the devastation that his brother had wrought.

He felt nothing as he looked over the charred remains of the four Frost Giants and the mutilated corpse of Laufey, and was satisfied with his response. It would not do to mourn for his enemy, and although he recognized the connection he had with Laufey, he had come to the conclusion long ago that in the face of what he had with his real family, Laufey meant nothing to him.

Looking to his brother he rasped out, "What took you so long?"

He could feel Thor's wince at his voice and saw him turn a critical eye to his throat, which Loki ignored, hoping his brother would get the message.

"There were these agents in town. Very pushy," Thor answered calmly, and although Loki could read the anger in his eyes over his injury, he was thankful that his brother would not fuss over him. "They wanted me to answer all sorts of questions, and then there was this girl-"

"A _girl_!" It was hard to communicate his amusement when he could barely whisper, but he managed. "I almost died because you found some cute mortal girl?"

Thor looked chagrined but his voice was playful, "You handled yourself well enough. Kept four of them back. He had ten with him right?"

Thor's eyes were dancing and Loki rose to the bait, "He had twelve," he croaked.

"Right, of course. So I took those two that got passed you, then the four, and finally Laufey. That means you took down six. Not bad little brother" Thor gave the appearance of being serious but he was practically glowing with glee.

Loki scowled good-naturedly, "I did all the work with Laufey. All you had to do was hit him on the head."

"Which took a lot of skill," Thor protested with a smile. "What if he had moved? Plus I had to make sure to hit him hard enough to pay him back for what he did to you."

He reached up a hand to gently brush across Loki's throat, wincing again at the angry red marks in the shape of Laufey's fingers that decorated his brother's throat. He noticed a jagged cut on his shoulder as well, no doubt the result of the uneven edges of an ice weapon.

Loki took a second to look over his brother as well. A red mark that was sure to bruise was blossoming on his cheek, and from the way he held himself up so stiffly it was likely that the giants had scored at least one body shot.

"Looks like they got a few hits in on you as well," Loki whispered.

Thor waved him off and guided him towards the town as they walked slowly. "I promised the agents that I would return. They wanted to talk about something."

"We can talk later," Loki argued weakly. "We have to get back and finalize the peace arrangement, there is a chance that it was fake. You can return to talk to your girl when we are done."

He steered his brother back towards the Bifrost site with little resistance, although Thor offered a protest, "But I promised her that I would be back."

"Don't you mean you promised the _agents_ that you would be back?" Loki asked amusedly.

Thor grinned, "Right. The agents."

He turned Loki around, back towards the town, "Surely another ten minutes wouldn't hurt anything. After all, the peace agreement will turn into a treaty, which will mean a big political show and then there will be the celebrations and feasts. We won't be able to return for days."

Loki rolled his eyes, knowing he would concede this matter but wanting to draw it out. "I suppose Heimdall will be able to see that we are alive and well," he said slowly. "The cease-fire will surely hold for another day or two, and-"

Thor whooped joyously and took a gentle grip on his brother's shoulders, flying them back to the town and landing near a group of men in identical black suits and sunglasses.

Loki noticed a brown haired woman by a nearby building, flanked by another girl and a man, but he turned his attention back to the men in front of him as one of them stepped forward.

His brother nudged him forward softly and gestured to the man, "Agent Coulson, my brother Loki. Loki, Agent Coulson."

After that Thor took off at a run towards the woman, who took several steps forward to meet him.

Loki gave an exasperated sigh and turned to the man in the suit who offered his hand with an equally amused smile.

He shook the hand and said, "What can we do for you, Agent Coulson?"

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I'm not thrilled with the ending since I feel like there are still some unanswered questions, so I might post some one-shots within this series that explore the ending or other scenes that were shortened. Let me know if there's something you'd like to see.

Hope you enjoyed!

Always

Sinkme


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